Friday, 03 June 2022, was Distinguished Visitors Day at the Askos-Profitis Proving Ground, within the framework of the international cooperation schemes with friendly and allied countries planned by the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, for the Mechanised Infantry Battalion Task Force-level Field Exercise "GOLDEN FLEECE-22" of C Army Corps/NRDC-GR “MEGAS ALEXANDROS”, which involved personnel and assets from the II Mechanised Infantry Division “ELASSON”, the 71st Airmobile Brigade “PONTOS”, the 1st Raider – Parachutist Brigade “EL ALAMEIN”, the 1st Army Aviation Brigade “KILKIS – LAHANAS”, one Mountain Infantry Platoon of the Romanian Land Forces, one Mounted Light Infantry Platoon of the Albanian Land Force, one Mechanised Infantry Platoon of the Bulgarian Land Forces, as well as observers from the United States of America, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, and Cyprus.

The exercise’s objective was to enhance military cooperation and strengthen the bonds between the participating countries, enhance interoperability, as well as improve their training and operational capabilities in rapidly changing situations emerging in the battlefield during peace support and peacemaking operations.

The exercise included operational tasks such as UAV surveillance, Search and Rescue, parachutist jumps, tactical ground capture by an Airmobile Infantry Platoon with a simultaneous attack by a Mechanised Infantry Battalion Task Force in cooperation with transport and attack helicopters and with artillery and Air Force support.

The final phase of the exercise was attended by Members of Parliament, the Chief of Hellenic Army General Staff, Lieutenant General Charalampos Lalousis as representative of the Chief of Hellenic National Defence General Staff, the Commanding General of the Hellenic First Army/EU OHQ “ACHILLEAS”, Lieutenant General Angelos Houdeloudis, the Commanding General of D Army Corps “THRAKI”, Lieutenant General Ioannis Tsioplos, the Commanding General of C Army Corps/NRDC-GR “MEGAS ALEXANDROS”, Lieutenant General Sotirios Kostakoglou, representatives of the Church and the local government, and Armed and Security Forces Officers.

The exercise confirmed the high level of operational cooperation and the strengthening of the bonds between the participating countries’ troops.

#ΕλληνικόςΣτρατός, #HellenicArmy