Hellenic Navy commissions general-support ship for special operations

The Hellenic Navy commissioned its first general-support ship for special operations, Perseas (ex- VikingVision ), during a ceremony held at Salamis Naval Base on 11 June. The ship – a former seismic vessel converted into a multi-purpose naval vessel – was donated to the Hellenic Navy by the Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation. My story for Janes here.

Hellenic Navy Reveals Its Surface Fleet Modernization Plan

On May 23, 2024, at the Combined Naval Event (CNE) 2024, in Farnborough, UK, a Navy Leaders Conference, Commodore Panagiotis Karavas, Deputy Director of the Armaments Directorate for the Hellenic Navy (HN), revealed new details for the imminent modernization of the Hellenic Navy’s surface fleet. Note that the Greek Commodore was, until recently, the surface program director, so he was very closely involved in the Greek surface fleet programs. Naval News attended his briefing. My story for Naval News, here.

New additions to the Hellenic Navy

The Hellenic Navy’s future multi-mission ship Perseus arrived on September 1 at Salamis Naval Base where she will receive the proper modifications in order to join the Greek Fleet the coming weeks. This is the fourth multi-purpose ship that joins the Navy as fleet support ship, all former commercial vessels and all donated by the Greek shipowner and president of Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation Panos Laskaridis. Few hours after the arrival of Perseus to Greece, the last pair of Island-class cutters, that were transferred to the Hellenic Navy by the United States Coast Guard (USCG), arrived in Salamis Naval Base. My story for Naval News, here. 

Hellenic Army receives S1200 Armored speedboats

Viking Norsafe Life-Saving Equipment Hellas delivered the first batch of S1200 Armored speedboats to the Hellenic Army on 3 July. The four boats have been delivered under a framework agreement that was signed between the company and the General Directorate for Defense Investments and Armaments on 14 December 2021, for the procurement of 41 speedboats for the Hellenic Army Amphibious Raider Squadrons of Joint Special Operations Command. The agreement includes a seven-year initial follow-on support contract, and will see a second batch consisting of three boats delivered in early autumn. My story for Janes here.

Greek Shipbuilder Reveals New Special Operations Craft Designs

Some months after the successful introduction into service with the Hellenic Navy (ΗΝ) of Phi-Mechaniseas’s first Special Operations Craft (SOC) design AGENOR 18, also known as Agenor, the Greek company partnered with DIAPLOUS Group, a security, defence and crisis management group of companies, providing both maritime and land-based holistic risk management solutions on a global scale. The newly established DIAPLOUS PHI (founded in January 2023) is led by former senior naval officers, naval architects and marine engineers who bring together advanced naval engineering knowledge together with deep Special Forces operational expertise to the design and construction of SOCs, complemented by expertise in tactical mission and weapon systems. DIAPLOUS PHI aims to provide its customers with tailor-made and turnkey solutions taking into considerations their special requirements and needs. My story for Naval News, here.

New Multi-Purpose Ship Donated to the Hellenic Navy

The Greek shipowner and president of Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation, Panos Laskaridis is about to donate a new large multi-purpose ship to the Hellenic Navy. The ship, is yet another kind donation of numerous donations over the last two decades by Laskaridis and his family to the Greek Navy and the Coast Guard, which include weaponry, patrol vessels, auxiliary and training ships, repairs and upgrades of older vessels and lighthouses. The close connection of Panos Laskaridis with the Hellenic Navy and his multi-faceted contribution to it, affirms in the best manner the unbreakable bond between the Hellenic Merchant Marine and the Hellenic Navy as joint guardians of Greek naval power and seamanship. "Viking Vision" is the 5th ship Laskaridis donates to the Hellenic Navy. It will be renamed when entering service with the Navy. My story for Naval News, here.

Greek naval vessels to be fitted with SPIKE missiles

Greece will proceed with the procurement of SPIKE fire-and-forget missiles from Rafael Advanced Defense Systems to equip eight naval vessels of two different types. The Greek Governmental Council for Foreign Affairs and Defence (KYSEA), under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, decided today to proceed with the procurement of SPIKE missiles from the Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, to equip the Hellenic Armed Forces. The acquisition of SPIKE fire-and-forget missiles will equip, among others, eight naval vessels in total, of two different types. My story for Naval News, here.

First Greek-designed special operations craft receives its armament

Agenor, the first Greek indigenously designed and built special operations craft (SOC) becomes the first Hellenic Navy vessel to receive a remote weapon station (RWS). This is the first and sole vessel currently in the Hellenic Navy inventory carrying RWS. The new special operations craft of the Hellenic Navy’s Underwater Demolition Command (UDC) is a product of Phi-Mechaniseas, a company formed by Greek shipbuilders, engineers and naval system manufacturers led by Panagiotis Alourdas, Commodore HN (rtd), Nautical Architect and Mechanical Engineer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT. The Hellenic Shipyards SA (Skaramaga Shipyards) built the boat in close collaboration with the Navy and the design team. The aluminum for the construction of the craft was donated by ElvalHalcor, while the project was funded by the Hellenic Navy. The craft was launched on July 30, 2021 and entered service in May 2022. My story for Naval News, here.

Hellenic Navy set to receive new special operations vessel

Hellenic Shipyards is preparing to hand over the first domestically designed and built special operations craft (SOC) to the Hellenic Navy in the coming weeks, the shipbuilder has told Janes. The new vessel, named Agenor, was built with funding provided by the Hellenic Navy. It was launched on 30 July and is currently completing sea trials. My story for Janes here.

PHOTO GALLERY #39: Mk V Special Operations Craft of the Hellenic Navy

Hellenic Navy Mk V SOC in the Inspection of the Fleet by
the President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina
Sakellaropoulou on June 10, 2021.

This is a collection of photos that includes some photos I took about a year ago of the Mark (Mk) V special operations craft (SOC) when they were delivered prior their modernization and commissioning in the Hellenic Navy Fleet, and photos of the vessels in service today from the Hellenic Navy and Hellenic National Defence General Staff websites. The Mk V SOC (Special Operations Craft) is a marine security, patrol, and special forces insertion boat used by the United States Navy and manufactured by VT Halter Marine Inc (Gulfport, Mississippi). Its length is 25 meters, weighs 57 tons in operational configuration and achieves a speed greater than 50 knots (cruising speed about 30 knots). There are four mounts on board that can receive a variety of weapons including general purpose machine guns, mini-guns, heavy machine guns and automatic grenade launchers, providing 360 degrees of firing coverage. Stinger MANPADS, mini UAV and small military inflatable boats are carried also. 

SuperTermoli (ST) 60 MMI - The successor of Hellenic Navy UDC's ST60 fast interceptor

Written by D-Mitch

 

SuperTermoli (ST) 60 MMI

In a previous post we described the ST60 interceptor, the only real interceptor craft in the SOC fleet, designed by the manufacturer SuperTermoli and built in Greece. SuperTermoli is a high-speed vessel manufacturing company based in Kallithea, Attica. The construction of the boats takes place in a shipyard in the area of Schimatari, Boeotia. The technologies and expertise of SuperTermoli have given rise to a vessel comparable to a supercar: tremendously fast, but also able to navigate safely at cruising speeds substantially above the upper limits of many other boats! This line of models is high-speed powerboats made of fiberglass specifically designed for special operations. Depending on the engines installed, they can reach a top speed of more than 70 knots even in rough waters and can carry maximum 20 people for special missions. SuperTermoli powerboats are made οf Italian technology and represent the state of the art of shipbuilding and mechanical engineering for boating in order to offer reliability and endurance under extreme situations that long-range operations demand, maintaining speeds of 60 knots. In this article we will reveal more information about the successor design, the ST60 Multi-Mission Interceptor (MMI), a more advanced craft with increased capabilities than the initial ST60.

 

SuperTermoli (ST) 60 - The best fast interceptor craft of the Hellenic Navy Underwater Demolition Command

Written by D-Mitch

 

The SuperTermoli (ST) 60 ΣΑΠ 11 returns into active
service fully modernized and upgraded!

The Underwater Demolition Command (UDC) (Greek: Διοίκηση Υποβρυχίων Καταστροφών), abbreviated as DYK) is the Hellenic Navy's elite special warfare unit. The DYK is organized into sections called Underwater Demolition Teams (Greek: Ομάδες Υποβρυχίων Καταστροφών), commonly known in their abbreviated form as OYK, that specialize in a particular area. DYK integrates Special Operation Forces (SOF) teams, Amphibious Reconnaissance Teams, Explosive Ordnance Teams (EOD), Special Operation Craft (SOC, ΣΑΠ in Greek) and Underwater Vessels (UV), the Underwater Demolition School (UDS), and the Underwater Demolition Base (UDB) according to the Operation Planning and under the orders of Hellenic Navy General Staff and Hellenic Navy Fleet Command. Among the several boats of different types (unfortunately) in the Command's inventory, there is one that distinguishes from all the rest thanks to its performance and size. This is the ST60 interceptor, the only real interceptor craft actually in the SOC fleet, designed by the Italian manufacturer SuperTermoli and built in Greece.

The STIDD Diver Propulsion Devices (DPD) of the Turkish Navy

Written by D-Mitch

Two U.S. Marines of the MSPF operating a Diver Propulsion
Device (DPD). Photo: United States Marine Corps

In a recent a article by e-amyna titled The YUNUS Project for the defence of the Turkish  naval bases (in Greek language), the author analyzes the effectiveness of the YUNUS Project to defend the main naval bases and harbors of Turkey against surface and sub-surface threats. In the discussion that followed the article and in regard to the Greek Swimmer Delivery Vehicles (SDVs), a reader (kostaspgn) posted a nice video about the Sualtı Taarruz Grup Komutanlığı, the Turkish Underwater Offence Group Command, known also as SAT, which is the special operation unit of the Turkish Navy, based in the Foça Naval Base near İzmir, on the Aegean coast of Turkey and Istanbul. The missions of the Su Altı Taarruz (SAT) include the acquisition of military intelligence, special reconnaissance, direct action, counter-terrorism and visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) operations. They are trained and organized in a similar way to the U.S. Navy Seals who have close training relationships with them. In that video, for just two seconds, from 2:23 till 2:25, two SF divers use a STIDD Diver Propulsion Device (DPD) (many thanks to my friend, blogger and expert in the field of mini-subs, H.I. Sutton, for the recognition of the vehicle and of course kostaspgn who spotted first the device!). I should mention here that this article does not include any actual photo of the Turkish DPD, but I find useful to publish this article about the capabilities of this device as a follow-up from the Greek SDVs article. Therefore, I may say that the title is not the most accurate one. Some screenshots are following before the complete video.

HISTORY #6: CosMoS CE2F, the Swimmer Delivery Vehicles (SDV) of the Hellenic Navy

 Written by D-Mitch

CE2F/X60 SDV of the Hellenic Navy

CosMoS CE2F were a series of Swimmer Delivery Vehicle (SDV) built by M/s Cos.Mo.S Spa. which was in Livorno of Italy. Cosmos is probably the most famous military wet-sub (chariot) / midget sub manufacturer in the world. The firm originated in the 1950s when Ing. Sergio Pucciarini, an ex member of the Decima Flottiglia Mezzi d'Assalto (MAS), also known as La Decima or Xª MAS, an Italian commando frogman unit of the Italian Royal Navy, started to build wet subs for civilian and military use. The Hellenic Navy (Πολεμικό Ναυτικό) purchased four SDVs of the CE2F/X60 model in the late '70s. In service, they were known as ΥΠ.ΟΧ. (Υποβρύχια Οχήματα). The CE2Fs are designed from the outset as a mean for attacking enemy warships in harbor mainly as well as for other special operations.