• The delegation, led by the Hellenic deputy minister of National Defence, Mr. Athanasios Davakis, visited the facilities of the Counter-IED Centre of Excellence to learn about how it operates and to gain insight into the work carried out by the Greek officer assigned here.

A delegation of the Hellenic Republic, headed by its deputy minister of National Defence, Mr. Athanasios Davakis, visited the Counter-Improvised Explosive Devices Centre of Excellence (C-IED COE), where they were received by its Director, Colonel Javier Sanz Maldonado, Branch Chiefs and the Greek officer serving at the Centre.

During the visit, the Director of the C-IED COE delivered a briefing on the wide range of activities conducted at the Centre, which is a NATO reference in the fight against C-IED threats.

Then, the Hellenic delegation visited the IED laboratory and the 3D printers, always accompanied by the Greek officer assigned to the COE, showing special interest in the research projects carried out at the Centre.

The Hellenic Republic joined the Memorandum of Understanding for the establishment of the C-IED COE in 2020. Since then, there is a Greek Officer permanently assigned to the Centre, whose duties fall within the Defeat the Device Branch.