Captain Leonidas Fountanas HN
Commandant, Hellenic Navy NCO Academy
Captain Leonidas Fountanas HN was born in Athens in 1969 and joined the Hellenic Navy in 1993 as an Ensign (Line Officer), graduating from the Naval Academy. In January 2026 he was promoted to the rank of Captain and assumed duties as Commandant of the Hellenic Navy NCO Academy.
Operational experience and sea service. His career includes service in surface units of the Fleet: aboard Frigates, where he served as Weapons and Electronics Officer, and aboard Fast Missile Patrol Craft, as Head of the Navigation, Weapons, Electronics and Operations Departments.
He served as Executive Officer of a Coastal Patrol Vessel, as well as aboard HS ROUSSEN, the lead ship of her class, in whose acceptance crew he also participated.
He served as Commanding Officer of HS DANIOLOS for three years (2007–2010), as Chief of Staff at the Fast Craft Command, and as Commander of the Support Ships Squadron (ΔΜΥ) of the Frigate Command, then in the process of being formed.
Staff career and international experience. He has significant experience in staff positions and international environments, with an emphasis on high-technology weapon and electronic systems. Among other posts, he has served as:
- Director of Frigate (MEKO) Modernisation Programmes, HNGS/Armaments Directorate (2024–2025)
- Director of Weapon and Electronic Systems, HNGS/Γ3, and National Representative of Greece to the NATO Naval Armaments Group (NNAG) (2021–2024)
- Section Head / Coordinator of Surface Warfare, Anti-Air and Electronic Warfare Weapon Systems, HNGS/Γ3 (2020–2021)
- National Representative to the NATO Sea Sparrow Project Office (NSPO) and Weapon and Electronic Systems Procurement Officer at the Embassy of Greece in Washington, USA (2016–2019)
- Section Head of Guided Missiles and Self-Protection Systems, HNGS/Γ3 (2015–2016)
- Section Head of Weapon and Electronic Systems of Principal Surface Units, HNGS/Armaments Directorate (2011–2015)
- Member of the Acceptance Committee and Acceptance Crew of the first ROUSSEN-class Fast Missile Patrol Craft, Naval Detachment of Elefsina (2002–2005)
Academic education and scientific work. He has an extensive scientific background, with studies in the USA and Greece, and holds the following degrees:
- MSc in Applied Physics, Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), USA, 2004
- Electrical Engineer Degree (EE), NPS, Monterey, USA, 2001
- MSc in Electrical Engineering, NPS, Monterey, USA, 2001
- MSc in Computer Science, NPS, Monterey, USA, 2001
- Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, University of the Aegean, 1999
His scientific work focuses on modern technology and data analysis topics, such as wireless and mobile ad-hoc networks (MANETs), Quality of Service (QoS) mechanisms, broadband technologies, optoelectronics and hyperspectral image processing.
He has taught as a part-time lecturer in the Electronics Department of the Naval Academy, as well as at Hellenic Navy career schools, contributing to the Navy’s educational work.
Military education. He is a graduate of all the career schools of the Hellenic Navy and the Armed Forces, including the Naval Staff College (ΣΕΑΝ), the Joint War College (ΑΔΙΣΠΟ) and the National Defence College (ΣΕΘΑ).
He has attended numerous specialised courses in Greece and abroad, including the Air Defence Control Officer course (ΑΕΛΑ), the Train the Trainer course, the TACTICOS CMS Operator Course (THALES, Netherlands), EXOCET MM40 ITL-70 (MBDA, France), the RAM Guided Missile Weapon System course (RAMSYS, Germany) and the ALEX Ship Self-Defense System course (Lockheed Martin, USA).
Honours. He holds all the medals and decorations of the Hellenic Armed Forces appropriate to his rank, as well as commendations for participation in UN Peacekeeping Operations, including the UNIFIL mission.
Personal details. He is married and has three daughters.