After an international contest in 1958,Royal Hellenic Air Force chose the Blackburn Buccaneer as a strike aircraft.84 units made by license at the State Hellenic Aircraft Factory from 1962 to 1966.This variant had the factory designation S.52H and RHAF classified it as EF-202.All aircrafts were powered by the RR Spey Mk101 with 11100lbf thrust through all their life.Originally there were 3 variants [EF-202K,which served as buddy-buddy refueller-12,EF-202N which served in 352 Naval Squadron,flying by Navy pilots (trained by Air Force),although Air Force kept the maintenance-8 units) and finally the EF-202B,the regular bomber/strike variant of RHAF,flying by pilots of 119 Squadron-58 units)].In late 1960's to early 1970's about 20 EF-202B modified to carry the AS-37 Martel for SEAD missions (creating the EF-202RD) and in early 1980's several more EF-202B modified to Electronic Warfare variant with indigenous equipment in pods or in bomb bay.Buccaneers in Hellenic Service test almost everything RHAF has in its EW weaponry today.
RHAF Buccanneers were painted in their first years at colors similar with Royal Navy aircrafts but with light grey instead of antiflash white and in early 1970's all were painted in "Vietnam" like camo,since this suits very well to hellenic landscape.The Naval Buccanneers retained their original paint up to 1987,when RHN decide to paint them with the unique "Aegean Ghost" Camo because these were mostly flying above sea.
After 44 years of service the Buccanner retired,one unit of each variant is preserved in Hellenic Air Force Museum (AU),some are in store and one is still flying as a test platform for the Air Force Research & Development Center.Some examples of new weapons this aircraft,the "428", tested through the years (from 1990):
-Perseus Thermobaric ASM (OMI-57)
-ASM OMI-37B (turbojet variant of Exocet AM-39)
-LGB Type Bombs (Laser Guided Bombs,similar with Paveway but developed by AFRDC)
-Laser Guided 2.75" rockets for UCAVs
-Small Anti-Radar Missile OMI-94 (similar with AGM-122 Sidearm,can be used from aircrafts or helicopters)
-ASM Sword (E-142),developed with assistance from Russia (Hermes Missile)-will entered service in early 2013