Nicosia, Cyprus. The Greek frigate Elli has participated in a joint training exercise with the Cypriot National Guard off the coast of Cyprus, the National Guard said on Tuesday.
Forces involved in the exercise
The National Guard said the Elli joined the drill alongside the Cypriot offshore patrol vessel Ioannides and the Cypriot coastal patrol vessels Tsomakis, Ammochostos, and Georgiou. The Greek special operations craft Panagos and Agathos and a Greek AW139 search and rescue helicopter also took part.
Training focus and objectives
“During the joint training, communications, asymmetric threats, advanced manoeuvres, and helicopter training exercises were carried out,” the National Guard said. It added that the activity helped promote operational readiness and combat capability and boosted the interoperability of the participants.
Elli deployment and anti-drone capability
The Elli has been stationed in waters off Cyprus after being sent to replace the Kimon, which had been deployed after the British Akrotiri air force base near Limassol was hit by an Iranian-made drone in March. Like the Kimon, the Elli is armed with Greece’s Centauros anti-drone system, which jams signals to disorient drones, and can detect drones at a distance of up to 150 kilometres.
Background on the vessel
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis described the Kimon during a visit to Cyprus in March as the “pride of the Greek fleet,” noting it entered service at the end of last year. The Elli was commissioned in 1982.
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