Photographs from the DIMARATOS SOCRATES 2020 exercises that took place last Thursday in northern Greece, have been published.
The exercises that took place on the northern port city of Alexandroupolis was published by the General Staff of the Army.
The exercise, which examined procedures and techniques for conducting offensive operations by a group of Armored Materials, involved personnel and equipment from the XXI Armored Brigade.
Apache-type attack helicopters (EU / P) of the 1st Army Air Force Brigade (1st TAXAS), were also used in the exercises.
Colonel Socrates Dimaratos, the name sake of the military exercises, distinguished himself during World War II.
He was the commander of the cavalry brigade, which effectively contributed to the first victory against the forces of the hitherto invincible axis, specifically against the Italian 3rd Julian Alpine Division on the hills around Annitsa Grevena, Skourtza, Nomara and Gomara in 1940.
Three infantry battalions also took part in the victorious battle: the 1st of the 51st Davakis Regiment with a cavalry regiment, the 1st of the 50th Regiment of Trikala and the 3rd of the 7th Regiment of Chalkis.
Although Turkish provocations are constant, they have been heightened in the past few days as Turkey announced that in the coming months it will begin drilling for oil and gas in Greece’s maritime borders.
In response, many Greek officials have emphasised how the Greek military will defend its sovereign borders, on land and at sea, from any Turkish aggression.
“We don’t want to get there, but we want to make it clear that we will do whatever it takes to defend our sovereign rights to the fullest extent possible,” Defence Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos said, as reported by Greek City Times.
Panagiotopoulos highlighted how Turkey is “aggressive” but that Greece can deter this aggression with the “power of the Armed Forces.”