4.4. Additional SRUs
All the wings of the Greek armed forces (Air, navy and army) possess a significant number of aircrafts. On top of this, the Fire Brigades and the Hellenic Police have their own fleet. All these resources can be additionally used in a SAR operation after the command of the National Hellenic Defense Headquarter. It is also feasible by law to use assets of the Regions and the Municipalities, while the JRCC has the right to engage any private vessel or aircraft during an ongoing SAR operation. The entire activity within the Greek SRR is huge. During the year 2014 the Greek SRUs have performed roughly 950 patients air transports, flying for more than 2300 h and saving 1350 persons, who were either ill, or pregnant women, or castaways, or earthquake victims. The total number of castaways saved also by ships rises to 2049 persons (Hellenic Ministry of Defense, 2015). An illustrative example is the SAR operation of the Norman Atlantic Ferry fire in December 2014 (Norman Atlantic Accident, 2014), which was a concerted operation of Greek Navy ships together with helicopters of all three wing of the Hellenic armed forces (Pls, see Fig. 3). They managed to save several people under very adverse conditions both weather wise and accident wise.