At the presence of the Minister of National Defence Dimitris Avramopoulos, the exercise “KAMPEROS 2014” took place yesterday in Kranea firing range, at Elassona.
The exercise included the execution of all missions from all Hellenic Air Force Squadrons and Army attack helicopters. The exercise was also observed by the Deputy Minister of National Defence Ioannis Lampropoulos, the Chief of HNDGS General Michail Kostarakos, the Chief of HNGS Vice Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis HN, the Chief of HAFGS Lieutenant General Evangelos Tournas and the Chief of HAGS Lieutenant General Christos Manolas.
At the speech he addressed after the completion of the exercise, Mr. Avramopoulos underlined, among others, the following:
“Today’s exercise verifies the high level of our national defence system. It is a fact that no one can bring in question the effectiveness of the Hellenic Armed Forces.
The real force, the actual power of the Hellenic Armed Forces and of our country lie behind all what we have seen.
It is the spirit, the heart, the competence of the personnel in all branches who every day, under unfavourable conditions and having surrounded their mission with ideology, have actually accomplished to make us all proud and to allow us, who represent our country outside its borders, to convincingly claim that we have one of the most efficient and powerful defence systems in Europe…
… The aim that the Hellenic Armed Forces are called to achieve is to ensure the country’s integrity and independence, to be present where International Law calls them, to be the guarantors for our security.
Today, from Kranea, the political and military leadership, all those who observed this exercise, we emerge mentally stronger and convinced about the level of the Hellenic Armed Forces sending a message of security, certainty, self-confidence and prestige to the Greek people and not only under particularly difficult circumstances.
… Greece can be proud, feel safe in a generally unstable environment where Greek people can feel that thanks to the Hellenic Armed Forces their security, integrity and independence are ensured.
Everything we experience now comes at a moment when Greece must send a message of force and self-confidence. We owe this to all these great people, great Greek people who represent another Greece, the Greece of duty, honour and values attached to their duty, loyal to their oaths and dedicated to their mission.
Our country trusts them and appreciates them. And do not doubt that what is now a commitment of all of us, will become reality one day, so that whatever created the impression that everything is torn down before the financial and difficult fiscal conditions, will be prevented…
Dear Chief of Air Force,
Dear Chief of the Hellenic Tactical Air Force,
Please convey to all cadres not simply our congratulations for their work, but also our gratitude for the work they do, attached to their objective with dedication, with an excellent training level, which was proven today by this impressive exhibition which in my opinion was a large scale exercise and proves actively where our national defence system is today and where it will keep being.
I thank all of you who were today with us, on behalf of both the political and military leadership. I wish we always live such moments in this country, in a spirit of national unanimity, unity and solidarity.”