The said M.E.A will carry out flights within the framework of the Joint European Operation POSEIDON, which has been carried out on a continuous basis since May 2008 under the coordination of the L.S. Headquarters. – EL.AKT and EL.AS, and under the supervision of the FRONTEX Organization.
An Israeli unmanned aircraft will patrol for six months in the Aegean, with a base in Crete. It is a HERON type drone of the Israeli Aerospace Industry (IAI), which was leased by the European agency Frontex for 6 million euros, for the benefit of the Coast Guard.
Its first operational flight took place on Friday morning, in Tympaki, Phaistos Municipality, where its base will now be located.
The said M.E.A will carry out flights within the framework of the Joint European Operation POSEIDON, which has been carried out on a continuous basis since May 2008 under the coordination of the L.S. Headquarters. – EL.AKT and EL.AS, and under the supervision of the FRONTEX Organization.
This first flight was attended by the Secretary General of the Aegean and Islands Policy Manolis Koutoulakis as a representative of YANNP Yiannis Plakiotakis, the Executive Director of FRONTEX (ad interim) Aija Kalnaja, the Chief L.S. – EL. AKT. Vice Admiral L.S. Georgios Alexandrakis, the Head of the Integrated Maritime Surveillance Service Captain L.S. Georgios Christianos, the Central Harbor Master of Heraklion Vice Captain L.S. Efthymios Doubis, the Organization and Development Department of the Integrated Maritime Surveillance Service Admiral L.S. Dionysis Christofilis, the Director of the Office of the Minister Vice Admiral L.S. (a.a.) Vidalis Antonios, as well as Ms. Eleana Theona representative of the Ministry of Immigration.
In his statement, the Secretary General of the Aegean and Islands Policy, Manolis Koutoulakis, after welcoming Mrs. Kalnaja to Greece and especially to Crete, on behalf of Mr. Plakiotakis, underlined the following:
“From here, from Tympaki, a remote-controlled unmanned aircraft is now operating, which was granted by FRONTEX to Greece in order to contribute not only to the protection of the maritime borders of the EU, but also to the suppression of criminal activities at sea, as well as in the protection of the marine environment and it should be noted that the L.S. – EL.AKT. it is the only coast guard in the Mediterranean, which operates with such means. We are strengthening the Coast Guard with modern means and human resources resulting in a significant improvement of its operational capabilities. This development, combined with the titanic effort of the women and men of the Coast Guard, who attempt with determination, respect for International Law and absolute priority the protection of human life, led to an impressive reduction in migration flows during the years 2020, 2021 and 2022 compared to 2019.”
For her part, the Executive Director of FRONTEX (ad interim) Aija Kalnaja stated the following:
“This is an important moment for FRONTEX and the Greek side. Together we will operate an unmanned vessel in the eastern Mediterranean, based in Crete. The aircraft is capable of operating around the clock, has the ability to transmit information and give a real-time picture to the FRONTEX operational centers and our partners, allowing immediate assessment and reaction to various incidents – conditions. when deemed necessary.
The aircraft’s mission for the coming months is to support the Greek Authorities through border control and the detection and prevention of cross-border crime. It will contribute to efforts to rescue people, who are often victims of traffickers. A similar aircraft operating in Malta has helped save lives at sea.
This instrument serves the E.U. FRONTEX missions contribute to the protection and safety of all Europeans, helping the authorities to fight cross-border crime and deal with hybrid threats, which originate from areas outside the EU.”
Finally, the Head of the LS-EL.AKT. Vice Admiral L.S. Giorgos Alexandrakis reported the following:
“It is particularly important for the Coast Guard-Hellenic Coast Guard, but also for our country in general, the fact that for the next six months a state-of-the-art unmanned aerial vehicle will be active, which will have the ability to provide a real-time image of the marine field in our operational centers. I want to remind that the Coast Guard was the first Coast Guard at European level to use an unmanned aerial vehicle in 2018 with excellent results. This instrument will contribute to the surveillance of our maritime borders, to search and rescue, but also to the fight against organized crime. I want to thank all the National Agencies and especially our Air Force, the Civil Aviation Authority and the Civil Aviation Service for the excellent cooperation.”
