The Chief of the Hellenic Navy, Vice Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis, visited NATO Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) to enhance awareness of MARCOM activities and discuss topics of mutual interest with Commander NATO Allied Maritime Command, Vice Admiral Peter Hudson and the MARCOM staff.
During the visit, Vice Admiral Apostolakis participated in a round-table discussion, with topics including current and future operations, assurance measures, Standing Naval Forces scheduling and force generation challenges, NATO/EU cooperation, and Hellenic Navy participation in NATO maritime activities. He also toured MARCOM’s Maritime Operations Center (MOC), the command and control hub for Allied maritime forces operating under NATO flag, and met with MARCOM’s Greek personnel.
Vice Admiral Hudson said:
Our Hellenic Navy colleagues play a vital role in supporting the Alliance Maritime Strategy.
Their participation in our Standing Naval Forces is highly important, as is their hosting of the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Centre in Crete. Vice Admiral Apostolakis’ maritime forces regularly lead activities and exercises such as the ongoing Exercise ARIADNE in the Gulf of Patras, where our Standing NATO Mine Counter-Measures Group TWO is presently participating.
Exercise ARIADNE 2014 aims to improve interoperability among participating units and staff during mine counter-measures operations, with participants simulating the restoration of freedom of navigation and safety and security at sea, following mine laying activity.
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Press release, Image: NATO MARCOM