EKAM: Greek version
The Greek Police Task Force (EKAM) is the main power structure of the Greek state in the fight against terrorism. It is entrusted with the task of freeing the hostages, countering organized crime and neutralizing highly dangerous armed criminals.
EKAM has its roots in the 1978 year, when two separate special units were established in Greece: a special-purpose unit and a special-purpose platoon, which respectively belonged to the Greek gendarmerie and metropolitan police. With the unification of the two police forces and the creation of the Greek police in 1982, on the basis of these two special forces, the EKAM group numbering 150 people was created. During the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004, the number of units was increased to 200 people.
The mission of EKAM is to combat "special crimes of a violent nature." With this term, the Greek police describe terrorist acts and criminal offenses that are associated with the use of the so-called grave weaponssuch as a Kalashnikov assault rifle or hand fragmentation grenades, etc. Thus, EKAM is a national structure for combating terrorism and armed banditry both inside and outside Greece.
Organizationally, EKAM is part of the operational investigative department (ΔΑΕ), and reports directly to the police chief, who plans to use the unit as needed. It should be noted that the group is divided into two units: EKAM-1 is based in the Greek capital Athens, EKAM-2, in Thessaloniki, the main city of northern Greece. EKAM-1 is responsible for the entire territory of the country, and EKAM-2 is mainly active in the north of Greece (in Macedonia and in Thrace). However, if necessary, these two units can perform tasks jointly, for example, when searching for fugitive criminals in rural areas of the country.
Selection
The operative is the main combat unit of the EKAM group. The selection in the unit is carried out among volunteers of all police services, who have considerable experience of service. The pre-selection phase lasts for 5 days and includes an in-depth medical examination and serious physical tests. Then follows the main training period, which is 52 working days. During it, candidates receive basic knowledge of CQB, dynamic entry tactics, hand-to-hand combat, shooting from various types of weapons that are used in EKAM, high-altitude training, the use of special ammunition, first aid and other aspects of police special operations. Usually no more than 10% of candidates wishing to become fighters of the group reach the finish of the qualifying stage. This means that only the best of the best serve in it.
Specialties
After the main stage of training, each beginner gets a specialty. There are four of them in EKAM: attack aircraft, demolition man, sniper and medic.
Stormtrooper is the main and most numerous specialty in EKAM teams. Its task is to suppress the enemy by force, up to physical destruction. During the assault, the special forces of EKAM do not spare ammunition, their main goal is to neutralize the terrorist or the criminal and minimize the damage to the hostages and the surrounding peaceful people.
A demolition man is a person who creates the conditions for the penetration of an assault group into a room. He has special tools for this, such as an assault ram, a hydraulic jackhammer, explosive charges and a shotgun with special ammunition. After making the passage, he joins the assault group and acts with it.
Sniper is a very important specialty in EKAM. Sometimes hostages can only be released with his help. The level of training of snipers in Greek special forces is very high. Some coaches graduated from the Royal Navy's Sniper School in England, others - sniper courses in the United States. In addition to firing from the shelter, EKAM uses its snipers in the assault for reconnaissance and auxiliary purposes.
Medic is an important element of the professional composition of the group. He has with him a special medical kit and is responsible for providing first aid to a wounded comrade or a hostage who was injured during the special operation. In addition to medical supplies, he always has conventional weapons, but in the group he usually operates behind the attack aircraft.
An important detail: every EKAM employee has the necessary skills and knowledge in the related specialty - thus, interchangeability is achieved. All fighters are trained in special high-altitude training, “practicing” various types of buildings - brick, block, stone, with and without balconies, etc. As a rule, they all use special climbing devices during their descent from the object, which frees their hands, which allows them to fire from small arms, throwing grenades, etc.
In addition, some participants are trained as paratroopers, combat swimmers and skiers, in order to operate effectively in special circumstances and in different terrain, if necessary. Other members of the group are martial arts masters such as kickboxing, taekwondo and krav maga.
Training with Greek Special Forces
EKAM often conducts joint training with the special forces of the Greek armed forces, exchanging knowledge and experience on topics of mutual interest. The team members have the opportunity to study at the army parachute school, at the center of non-traditional combat operations, and at the military medical school. In turn, EKAM offers training in CQB tactics (close combat) and sniper shooting.
In one of the recent joint exercises with army special forces, the group’s men (reconnaissance snipers) made a parachute jump, some of which were in free fall, and landed right next to the object in which conditional terrorists held hostages. The task of the snipers was the neutralization of two sentries at the facility, after which the army special forces, descending from a helicopter on special files, began storming positions around the building seized by terrorists. At the same time, the rapid reaction force of the EKAM group landed from another helicopter along the same lines on the upper part of the building, immediately proceeding with the release of the hostages and the stripping of the structure from the upper floors.
ATLAS teams
EKAM is a full member of the ATLAS European structure, which was formed in October 2001 in Brussels to promote cooperation and coordination between the antiterrorist units of the European Union. Within this structure, various special forces units have the opportunity to exchange experience in the tactics of special operations, and from 2009, they can assist their colleagues in the event of a crisis in a particular EU country. Currently, ATLAS includes 35 special police units from 27 European states.
EKAM participates in multinational anti-terrorism exercises and is part of the Hermes Team group, which is a structural unit of ATLAS and is engaged in countering terrorist or criminal actions on ground transportation (buses, trains, cars, etc.).
In June 2010, the EKAM organized anti-terrorism exercises in Greece, during which actions were worked out to neutralize the terrorists who seized the train. The partners of the Greeks at that time were special units from Italy, France, England, Ireland, Northern Ireland and the Czech Republic. The exercise was managed from the Alexander the Great mobile communication center by the Greek police.
The commander of EKAM participates twice a year in joint meetings with the commanders of other European special units at which they exchange views on a wide range of issues on anti-terrorism and police issues. Outside the ATLAS structure, the EKAM group collaborates with the US FBI HRT team, the US marshals special task force, the US Green Berets, the US Navy SEALs teams and the Israeli special forces Yamam.
Center for Maritime Operations
Starting from 2010, EKAM regularly conducts training in the center of maritime operations (Κ? Ντρο Εκπα? Δευσης Ναυτικ? Σ οποτροπ? Σ / ΚΕΝΑΠ) in Souda Bay on the Greek island of Crete. The center is part of the training structure of NATO, being under the authority of the Greek special forces and the Greek Navy, and is intended to train military personnel of NATO countries and other friendly Greece states in order to work out tactics to seize sea vessels or, on the contrary, to release them, in particular during anti-piracy operations near Somalia.
The contribution of EKAM to the legal component of anti-piracy operations is extremely weighty. EKAM officers teach military personnel to collect evidence to initiate criminal proceedings against pirates, drawing attention to the various legal peculiarities of investigating 21st century pirates.
Weapon
The main armament of the EKAM is the highly reliable 9mm Heckler & Koch MP5 K submachine gun, specially designed for close combat. The weapon has a folding stock, a multipurpose picatinny rail, on which additional equipment can be mounted: laser sights, tactical flashlights, etc.
The M-4 A1 5,56 x45 mm carbine is used as a heavier small arms in the group, usually with an EOTech sight and a tactical flashlight. All EKAM employees are armed with a Glock 21 pistol as a personal short-barreled weapon.
When carrying out operations, bombers often use the Remington 870 tactical shotgun, which can “open” any door and is the best means of covering assault teams during an armed clash. Also in the arsenal of EKAM there are light-noise and chemical (with “police” gas) grenades, which are used to disorient and suppress the enemy.
EKAM sniper teams mostly prefer Arctic Warfare Accuracy International rifles of 7,62 x51 mm and .338 Lapua Magnum. In urban conditions, when shooting is conducted at short distances, Greek special forces use the M4 Bushmaster, equipped with a bipod. Now the EKAM group is testing special 5,56-mm ammunition that can pierce through thick glass while maintaining lethal force.
Moreover, employees of the EKAM group usually have the ability to vary the use of a weapon with respect to the specific conditions in which the operation is conducted. For example, tasks often arise when the special forces use the P-90 short-barreled X-NUMX x5,7 mm caliber short-barreled weapons of small size and weight as personal defense weapons. Also in the arsenal of the EKAM are the G-28 A3, FN Standard assault rifles, the AK-2 Kalashnikov assault rifle, and the Molot Vepr-47 automatic shotgun with a shortened barrel and a telescopic butt equipped with an EOTech sight, a tactical flashlight.
Command center
Operations of their units are managed from high-tech mobile command and control centers, created on the basis of special modified vans. A special mobile command center (Ειδικ? Κινητ? Κ? Ντρο Διο? Κησης) has contact with the operational groups in the field and the headquarters of the Greek police. Center operators receive and send reports, carry out audio and visual observation in the work area and can transmit video and audio information. Soon, EKAM employees should receive tactical helmets in which a special video headset is integrated, capable of transmitting images to the command center, which will improve management and increase efficiency in decision-making.
Transportation
Has at its disposal a fleet of various vehicles for the transport of personnel and use during assault operations. Many cars have 7,62 caliber small arms protection; mm, they are also equipped with special ladders to quickly lift assault groups to the upper floors of buildings. Vehicles also have RCB protection.
As an air vehicle for conducting police operations, EKAM special forces use helicopters from the Greek police, which have special rope devices for launching and lifting on board. If the situation requires a more massive exposure from the air, then EKAM can be borrowed by Chinook or Super Puma army helicopters.
Greece is a maritime country with a thousand islands. It is clear that the police special forces are active in the coastal zone. To do this, the group has rubber inflatable boats or boats with a rigid hull, often for carrying out operations high-speed patrol boats of the Greek coast guard are involved.
Canine
Recently, the group acquired its own service dogs, creating a canine unit and finally ceasing to use the services of colleagues from the K-9 team of the Greek police. Dogs are usually used to search for explosives, criminals and terrorists in buildings. Other "four-legged policemen" are trained as assault dogs, specially trained to attack criminals and terrorists. In addition, it is possible to install a video camera on dogs during the operation, so the assault groups have the opportunity to receive a video image of the object captured by the bandits.
operations
During its existence, the EKAM group conducted dozens of special operations, many of which are still hidden under the “secret” stamp. Of those that have become known to the general public, the following can be distinguished. In July, 1998, and in January, 2004, the police special forces successfully freed the hostages from the bus seized by terrorists, none of the citizens was injured. The fighters also participated in an operation to free a Turkish airliner hijacked by terrorists in February 2003 at the Athens International Airport.
The EKAM group played a decisive role in the defeat of the terrorist organization 17 November, which had been raging in Greece for many years. Many members of the organization were arrested in different parts of the country, and the campaign of terror they unleashed, which lasted almost 30 years, was finally stopped. No less successfully, EKAM acted against the Albanian mafia, which launched its tentacles in Greece. Moreover, Albanians were often armed with AK-47 Kalashnikov assault rifles and even hand grenades, so that each special operation against them turned into a real clash. Nevertheless, most members of the mafia groups were killed or arrested and brought to justice.
Special teams of snipers were also deployed two years ago in the mountains of Crete, covering the police officers who entered the village where the mobsters were supposedly hiding.
In 2011, the EKAM group developed and successfully carried out operations against the terrorist organization “Fire Cell Conspiracy”, arresting seven of its members. In the same year, EKAM arrested the murderers of two police motorcyclists.
In conclusion, it should be noted that EKAM special forces also guard high-ranking officials and important state facilities.
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