From Tuesday, October 31 to Friday, November 10, 2023, the Armed Forces participated in the Multinational Exercise of Special Forces – Special Operations Forces (ED – DEE) named “STRONG BALKAN – 23” held in Tirana, Albania, with the participation of personnel and media from Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Turkey.
The ED-DEE Exercises of a similar type are part of the “Balkan Nine Countries Combined Joint Special Operations Forces Exercises” (B-9 CJSE) which were established in 2011 as an initiative of the Inter-Balkan Summit of Chiefs of Armed Forces, are organized every year by a different country, and they are part of the wider planning of the GEETHA in terms of the international cooperation of the Armed Forces, aiming at strengthening synergy and interoperability, as well as increasing the fighting capacity of the participating Armed Forces.
It should be noted that in the year 2022, the corresponding activity was hosted by Greece under the name “BALKAN SHIELD – 22” (press here).
The Armed Forces participated with personnel and means as follows:
- 1 Special Operations Task Unit (SOTU) of the Special Warfare Command (DEP) of the GEETHA.
- 2 Faculty design staff.
During it, among other things, freefall and static belt drops, E/P descents (fast rope, rappel), neutralization – destruction of Improvised Explosive Devices (EOD), First Aid items on the battlefield, as well as combat shots were carried out quick reaction – sniper shots.
On Thursday, November 9, 2023, the Distinguished Visitors Day (DV DAY) of the Exercise took place, in the presence of the Commander of the I MP Major General Sarantis Tiligadas, as a representative of the Commander of the Faculty of the GERTH Lieutenant General Dimitrios Houpis.
Read the original at Defence247.gr
