It is a boiling summer morning on the coast of Athens and I stand with a phalanx of modern Greek warriors gazing out over the Aegean Sea.
I’m here to do what no foreign journalist has ever done: integrate with them as they conduct a series of cutting-edge training exercises.
ETA (Eidiko Tmhma Aleksiptothston in Greek) is the Special Parachute Regiment of the Greek army: its elite of the elite. A top-notch special operations unit made up of the most qualified members of the Greek Special Forces.
Founded in 1959, it was tasked with rapidly deploying behind enemy lines to conduct unconventional warfare and harass enemy forces. The Regiment participates in the most critical operations in Greece.
In December 2021, NATO Special Operations Forces Headquarters (NSHQ) visited Greece to evaluate the regiment in three key mission areas: external internal defense, direct action and special reconnaissance. Simulating real-world operations, the unit carried out a variety of missions using their full range of infiltration skills and techniques. After almost a week of rigorous evaluation in December, NSHQ gave ETA the highest possible rating, declaring it “Combat Ready” and praising the Regiment’s exceptional performance, qualifying it to deploy as part of a Ground Operations Task Group. NATO Specials.
I’m here to see this versatility and ability in multiple domains. The first is a hostage rescue drill that involves storming a simulated target building. I drive with my guide for the day, Major Costa Papadopoulos (name has been changed for security reasons), to an abandoned field. We stop, I get out and wait.
Suddenly I hear screeching and gunshots. Four jeeps appear roaring and screeching next to a building. Six commandos emerge from them, firing automatic rifles as they run towards the building.
David Patrikarakos joins ETA: the Greek army’s elite squad of soldiers inspired by the SAS
The Regiment participates in the most critical operations not only for Greece, but for many of its NATO allies.
ETA is a top-level special operations unit made up of the most qualified members of the Greek Special Forces.
I follow them inside as they make their way through the building. Outside, soldiers in a jeep continue to provide covering fire.
A little less than a minute later they leave with the hostage, get into the jeep and leave. Every movement was quick but deliberate; Every corner perfectly covered. “Speed and precision,” Costas told me. “That’s how the job gets done.”
The entire operation took less than three minutes.
This is not surprising. ETA recruits only the best. The trip begins with a three-week selection process, the toughest in the Greek armed forces. It is designed to separate the exceptional from the merely excellent. Only 15% of candidates pass.
And it’s just the beginning.
Those who remain undergo eight months of relentless operational training designed to push potential recruits to their physical, psychological and intellectual limits. Only those who prove unbreakable earn the ETAS Brigade insignia: a winged sword combined with the motto “Who Dares Wins”, borrowed from their British SAS counterparts.
The ETA is a Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) unit, specializing in covert operations deep behind enemy lines. Each operator is trained in HALO (high altitude, low opening) and HAHO (high altitude, high opening) parachute techniques, allowing them to infiltrate hostile territory undetected.
ETA recruits only the best. The journey begins with a tough three-week selection process
The process is designed to separate the exceptional from the merely excellent. Only 15% of candidates pass
ETA’s capabilities also extend to stealth amphibious landings, allowing them to deploy on coasts.
NSHQ gave ETA the highest possible rating, declaring it “combat ready” for deployment to NATO.
Its capabilities also extend to amphibious warfare. At sea, I joined a fleet of fast boats riding the waves in formation. ETA’s capabilities also extend to stealth amphibious landings, allowing them to deploy to often highly defended coastlines.
Their adaptability was once again on display when, a few days later, I once again joined them during Close Quarter Combat (CQC) training. In a simulated urban environment, they cleaned rooms with surprising speed and precision. “We train while we fight,” said one soldier, his face shiny with sweat. “Because in the real world there is no margin for error.”
ETA has a global footprint. In recent years, the unit has deployed to conflict zones far from Greece, including Sudan, Libya, Mozambique and Lebanon. Many of these missions have been Noncombatant Evacuation Operations (NEO), where operators extract civilians from the most volatile situations. ETA soldiers are as skilled in humanitarian missions as they are in combat operations.
However, its primary mission remains to defend Greece’s borders, a task made more vital due to ongoing territorial disputes and geopolitical tensions in the region, bringing the prospect of a massive conflict closer than ever.
This is a possibility we can no longer ignore and one I, along with a range of guests, discuss each week on 90 Seconds To Midnight, the Daily Mail’s weekly global news podcast.
ETA’s reputation is based on a culture of quiet professionalism. While much of the unit remains secret, its capabilities speak for themselves. As I prepared to leave, Major Costas shared a parting thought: ‘We don’t do this for the glory. We do it because it needs to be done and we are the best at doing it.”