The Minister of National Defence Mr. Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos inaugurated today, Tuesday 19 October 2021, the NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence Centre of Excellence – IAMD CoΕ, headed by our country, whose HQ is at Chania-Crete.
The ceremony was also attended by the Deputy Minister of National Defence Mr. Nikolaos Chardalias, the NATO Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Transformation General Paolo Ruggiero, the Chief/HNDGS General Konstantinos Floros, the Chief HAFGS Lieutenant General Georgios Blioumis, the Chief HNGS Vice Admiral Stylianos Petrakis HN and the Commander IMAD CoE Colonel (AF) Evaggelos Tzikas.
The Centre of Excellence shall provide the Alliance with key services of specialization, know-how, training, best practices, lessons’ analysis and lessons learnt, I the demanding field of Air and Missile Defence.
In his speech, the Minister of National Defence highlighted that Greece is a stable and reliable NATO ally, who develops initiatives so as to enhance security and stability in the broader region. Mr. Panagiotopoulos also underlined that the operation of the COE is a significant addition to the, already existing, Units and Centres in Chania, which promote the geopolitical and strategic importance of Crete as a regional Training and Support Centre for the Alliance.
The complete address of the Minister is the following:
“Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great honour and privilege to welcome you at the Inauguration Ceremony of NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defence Centre of Excellence (IAMD CoE).
Greece is the Framework Nation of this new, NATO accredited, Centre of Excellence and is also a Sponsoring Nation in twelve (12) more Centres. This fact is a tangible proof of our interest in promoting best practices and finding solutions in complex issues through common effort.
Greece is a stable, credible and reliable NATO ally. We have always been committed to the Alliance fundamental common values and ideals and undertake initiatives that promote its cohesion and unity. Today’s ceremony represents another milestone in our contribution to the Alliance.
NATO needs to remain flexible and adaptive, taking into consideration the increasingly diverse and challenging spectrum of potential Air and Missile threats, ranging from simple UAVs to Ballistic or even sophisticated hypersonic missiles.
In order to deal efficiently with these rapidly advancing threats, a vital objective of the allied Nations needs to be the enhancement of their technological advantages, the development of synergies as well as the exchange of knowledge and expertise.
In this frame, the role of the Integrated Air and Missile Defence Centre of Excellence (IAMD CoE) is very significant. Its main purpose will be to enhance the interoperability capabilities of the Alliance and develop concepts, doctrines and best practices in the domain of the Air and Missile Defence, through comprehensive research, education and training.
Moreover, the establishment of the Centre of Excellence in Chania is adding to the existing facilities such as the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operation Training Centre (NMIOTC), the NATO Missile Firing Installation (NAMFI), the ΝΑΤΟ Forward Logistic Site (FLS) and the NATO Forces Accuracy Check Site (FORACS), making the area an important Allied Hub. This highlights the geopolitical and strategic importance of the island of Crete, as a regional Training and Support Centre for the Alliance.
I would like to welcome the representatives of all the Sponsoring Nations to the IAMD CoE and the representatives of other allied countries. I am confident that the participation of more Nations in the future will definitely bring added value to the Centre and will further upgrade its capabilities.
I would like to assure you that Greece, as the Host Nation, will always support the operation of the Centre of Excellence and provide assistance whenever necessary.
Finally, I wish the Director and the Staff of the Integrated Air and Missile Defence Centre of Excellence success in fulfilling their demanding mission.
Thank you.”
