Multinational exercise “Niriis-22” took place from November 5 to 13 in the wider area of Crete and south of the Peloponnese, with the participation of personnel and media of the armed forces of Greece, the USA and Israel.
Also participating in the exercise was the Standing NATO Maritime Group Two, as well as the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group Two with naval units from Belgium, Germany, Greece, the USA, of Italy, Spain and Portugal.
It was a multinational interdisciplinary INVITEX (Invitation Exercise) type exercise, while it was attended by observers from Egypt, Albania, Bulgaria, the UAE, the Republic of Cyprus, Saudi Arabia and Slovenia.
The Greek Armed Forces participated with 4 frigates with their organic helicopters, 3 submarines, 4 fast guided patrols, 2 general support ships, 3 minesweepers, a tanker, unorthodox warfare vessels, GEETHA Special Warfare Command marine forces, fighter aircraft F -4 and F-16 of the Air Force and a patrol boat of the Coast Guard-Hellenic Coast Guard.
Other Niriis-22 participants were a frigate from Spain, a destroyer, an S-70 helicopter and a Naval Operations aircraft from the US, three minesweepers of SNMCMG 2 from Belgium, Italy and Spain, a general support ship from Germany, a coastal patrol boat from Portugal, as well as two fast guided missile patrol boats from Israel.
During the exercise, training activities were conducted in all forms of Naval Warfare.
Mainly, emphasis was placed on anti-mine operations, fire drills, anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare, anti-air warfare and force protection exercises, amphibious operations, dealing with asymmetric surface and air threats, critical infrastructure protection, naval deterrence and civilian evacuation.
pictures: Greek Army General Staff
