On Thursday, June 3, 2021, the Distinguished Visitors Day (DV-Day) took place at the Armor Training Center in Avlona, ​​Attica, as part of the Multinational Exercise “ORION-21” . The Republic of Cyprus was represented by the Ambassador to Greece, Mr. Kyriakos Kenevezos, while the National Guard was represented by the Special Forces Commander, Colonel Hadjikostantas Loukas.

The exercise “ORION-21” was executed with the participation of the Special Forces – Special Operations Teams of Greece, the US, Israel, Cyprus and Serbia as well as units of the Hellenic Police (Special Suppressive Antiterrorist Unit) and the Hellenic Coast Guard (Underwater Operations Unit). On the part of the National Guard, a Special Operations Team of the Special Forces Command and an Underwater Demolition Team of the Navy Command participated in the exercise.

During the DV-Day, a briefing took place on the conduct of the exercise and a demonstration was made on the basis of a scenario involving the execution of a direct offensive action to capture a high value target. More specifically, a joint ground and air operation was carried out, using combat vehicles, CH-47D, NH-90 and AH-64D helicopters, which was completed with a Free fall jump, with the paratroopers holding the flags of the participating countries. This was followed by a static demonstration of material and equipment used by the Special Operations Forces of Greece.

The participation of the National Guard in the exercise is considered particularly beneficial as, in addition to the goal set to increase interoperability between the participants, the participating personnel gained further experience that will upgrade the operational readiness of both their units and the National Guard in general. At the same time, it highlighted the importance of the participation of the National Guard in bilateral and multilateral military cooperation, contributing to the common pursuit to ensure security and stability in the wider region.   

Also read: “ORION-21” | Participation of the National Guard in the Multinational Exercise with a Special Operations team