It’s a boiling summer morning on the coast of Athens, and I stand with a phalanx of modern Greek warriors looking out over the Aegean Sea.
I’m here to do what no foreign journalist has ever done: join them as they conduct a series of groundbreaking training exercises.
ETA – Eidiko Tmhma Aleksiptothston in Greek – is the Special Parachute Regiment of the Greek Army: the elite of the elite. A frontline special operations unit composed of the most skilled members of the Greek Special Forces.
Created in 1959, it was tasked with deploying quickly behind enemy lines to conduct unconventional warfare and harass enemy forces. The regiment takes part in Greece’s most critical operations.
In December 2021, NATO Special Operations Forces Headquarters (NSHQ) visited Greece to evaluate the regiment in three key mission areas: foreign internal defense, direct action and special reconnaissance. The unit simulated real-world operations and carried out a variety of missions, utilizing their full range of skills and infiltration techniques. After nearly a week of rigorous assessment in December, NSHQ gave ETA the highest possible rating, declaring it ‘Combat Ready’ and praising the regiment’s exceptional performance, qualifying it for deployment as part of a NATO Special Operations Land Task Group.
I’m here to see this versatility and skill across multiple domains. First up is a hostage rescue exercise, which involves storming a simulated target building. I drive with my guide for the day, Major Costas Papadopoulos (name has been changed for security reasons), to an abandoned piece of land. We stop and I get out and wait.
I suddenly hear screaming and the sound of gunshots. Four jeeps roar into view and screech past a building. Six commandos emerge and fire automatic rifles as they run towards the building.
David Patrikarakos joins ETA, the Greek Army’s squad of SAS-inspired elite soldiers
The regiment takes part in the most critical operations not only for Greece, but also for many of its NATO allies
ETA is a frontline special operations unit composed of the most skilled 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.
About a minute later they emerge with the hostage, jump into the jeep and drive away. Every movement was quick but deliberate; every corner perfectly covered. “Speed and precision,” Costas told me. “This is how you get the job done.”
The entire operation took less than three minutes.
This is not surprising. ETA only recruits the best. The journey begins with a three-week selection process, the toughest within 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 continue eight months of brutal operational training designed to push potential recruits to their limits. Only those who prove unbreakable earn the insignia of the ETAS Brigade: a winged sword combined with the motto ‘Who Dares Wins’, borrowed from their British SAS counterparts.
ETA is a Long-Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) unit, specialized 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 enemy territory without detection.
ETA only recruits the best. The journey starts 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 stealthy amphibious landings, allowing them to be deployed on shore
NSHQ gave ETA the highest possible rating and declared it ‘Combat Ready’ for deployment to NATO
Their capabilities also extend to amphibious warfare. At sea I joined a fleet of fast boats flowing in formation over the waves. ETA’s capabilities also extend to stealthy amphibious landings, allowing them to deploy on coasts, which are often heavily defended.
Their adaptability was once again on full display when I re-embedded with them during Close Quarter Combat (CQC) training a few days later. In a simulated urban environment, they cleared rooms with surprising speed and precision. “We train while we fight,” said one soldier, his face glowing with sweat. “Because in the real world there’s no room for mistakes.”
ETA has a global footprint. In recent years, the unit has been deployed in conflict areas far from Greece, including Sudan, Libya, Mozambique and Lebanon. Many of these missions are Non-Combatant Evacuation Operations (NEOs), where operators remove civilians from the most volatile situations. ETA’s soldiers are as adept at humanitarian missions as they are at combat operations.
Their primary mission, however, remains to defend Greece’s borders – a task made even more important by the ongoing territorial disputes and geopolitical tensions in the region, making the prospect of a mass conflict closer than ever.
This is a possibility we can no longer ignore and one I discuss with a variety of guests every week on 90 Seconds To Midnight, the Daily Mail’s weekly global news podcast.
ETA’s reputation is built on a culture of calm professionalism. Although much about the unit remains secret, their 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 it.”