On Thursday, 12 September 2024, the Deputy Minister of National Defence Giannis Kefalogiannis, attended the Multinational Joint Special Operations Exercise “ORION-24”, conducted at Camp “Delaportas” in Pahi, Megara.
The exercise was also attended by the Chief HNDGS, General Dimitrios Choupis, the Chief HAGS, Lieutenant General Georgios Kostidis, the Chief HNGS, Vice Admiral Dimitrios-Eleftherios Kataras, the Chief HAFGS Lieutenant General Dimosthenis Gregoriadis, the Commanding General of the Special Warfare Command, Lieutenant General Prokopios Mavraganis, representatives of Embassies, foreign Diplomatic Missions, Security Forces, Defence Attachés, as well as military delegations of foreign countries.
North Macedonia, Bulgaria, France, the United States, Italy, the Republic of Cyprus, and Romania participated in Exercise “ORION-24” with personnel and assets, while Austria, Egypt, and Poland participated with observers.
Upon conclusion of the exercise, the Deputy Minister of National Defence made the following statement:
“The wide range and complexity of the scenarios, combined with the interaction among the three Services of the Armed Forces and the Security Forces , as well as the especially increased number of attendees from foreign countries, make this combined operational training unique. The Hellenic Armed Forces maintain a well established military cooperation with allies and partners at a bilateral and multilateral level. Also, the numerous actions that we organise each year confirm the constructive role of our Country, which reflects its strategic position in the broader region of the Mediterranean. We have to be prepared and always ready to respond to the demands of the times. I would like to express my sincere congratulations to the participants and organisers of the exercise for the impressive result they presented, as well as for the projection, among other things, of the high operational readiness of the Hellenic Special Operations Units. Greece, responding to its role of pillar of stability, peace, and security in the broader region of the Eastern Mediterranean, will continue to reinforce its Armed Forces; through a bold network of reforms, adjusted to the technological developments, the lessons learned from the latest conflicts, the needs of today and of the future”.