The Distinguished Visitors Day (DV – Day) of the “AISIOS OIONOS – 25” Field Training Exercise took place on Friday 14 November 2025, in the presence of the Minister of National Defence Mr Nikolaos Dendias, the Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff General Dimitrios Choupis and the Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff Lieutenant General Georgios Kostidis, at the “AETOS” Firing and Exercise Range in the Area of Alexandroupoli, with the participation of personnel and assets from the “THRACE” Superior Military Command of Thrace, the Special Warfare Command, the “EVROS” ΧΙΙ Mechanised Infantry Division, the “DIDYMOTEICHO” ΧVΙ Mechanised Infantry Division, the “MACEDONIA” ΧΧ Armour Division, the 71 “PONTUS” Airmobile Brigade, the “KILKIS-LACHANA” 1 Army Aviation Brigade and two sections of F-16 Aircraft of the Hellenic Air Force (HAF).

The “AISIOS OIONOS-25” Field Training Exercise is a National Medium Scale Exercise, of Full Force Deployment (LIVEX-FTX), aiming to exercise Commands, Staffs and Units in the conduct of joint operations (defensive and offensive), under modern warfare conditions, with the additional participation of private companies with innovative systems.

During the first phase of the Field Training Exercise, which was focused on the tactical utilisation of UAVs and Counter-UAVs, special scenarios were examined for the operational utilisation of the new assets and correspondingly methods of countering them. Furthermore, special tactics were tested, their model of integration to the organisational structures of the Army Units was evaluated, along with the processes for exercise of their Command and Control.

The main part of the “AISIOS OIONOS – 25” National Exercise was conducted in the second phase of the Field Training Exercise, indicating the high level of the Units’ operational readiness. Moreover, innovative technologies were utilised, such as hitting targets with UAV First Person View (FPV) and grenade drops.

HNDGS, in the framework of the Field Training Exercise, issued a call to the Greek innovation ecosystem, which eagerly responded, with the participation of 37 companies. The participating companies had the opportunity to test the systems and assets in realistic scenarios, under real-world conditions and operational environment, as well as the opportunity for static demonstration in a specially configured space.

Furthermore, innovative systems were utilised and evaluated, having been developed and manufactured by the Centre for Research, Technological Development and Innovation of HNDGS and the 306 Telecommunications Base Factory, one of which is the Drone Mobile Production Unit.

The initiative of the Hellenic Centre for Defence Innovation and the HNDGS F Branch constitutes a particularly innovative action, in the framework of the consultation for the development of Tactical Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle Class Ι (UCAV Class I), to conduct field tests with state-of-the-art model systems of high readiness. Through these tests, we aim for the demonstration of their operational capabilities and their immediate evaluation by the competent operational body.

  
The exercise’s final phase was observed by:

• The Evros MP Mr Anastasios Dimoschakis.
• The Archpriest father Konstantinos Kotsakis as representative of His Reverence the Metropolitan Bishop of Alexandroupoli Mr Anthimos.
• The Chief of the Hellenic Navy General Staff Vice Admiral Dimitrios – Eleftherios Kataras HN.
• The Chief of the Hellenic Air Force General Staff Lieutenant General (Pilot) Dimosthenis Grigoriadis.
• The Honorary Chief of HAGS General (ret.) Georgios Kambas.
• The former Minister of Citizen Protection and Honorary Chief of HAGS General (ret.) Charalambos Lalousis.
• Members of the Supreme Military Council.
• Defence and Military Attachés.
• The Deputy Head of the Evros Regional Unit Mr Evangelos Poulilios.
• Representatives of the Local Self-government.
• Active and retired Officers of the Armed and Security Forces, as well as accredited journalists.

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