On Wednesday, 22 January 2025, the Greek Minister of National Defence, Nikos Dendias, visited the Fort Sill Fires Center of Excellence in Oklahoma, home to the Army’s Joint Counter-Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-sUAS) University.
The Minister was briefed by Major General Winston Brooks, Commander of Fort Sill, on the academic programmes focused on countering Unmanned Aircraft Systems, and the development of advanced innovations and defence strategies designed to tackle new and emerging threats.
Mr. Dendias was also briefed on the application of modern manufacturing techniques, including the use of Artificial Intelligence, as well as the production of spare parts and accessories for Unmanned Aircraft Systems through 3D printing.
Following this, the Minister toured the new design and assembly facilities for the latest systems as part of the Research & Development (R&D) programme.
At the Classified Combat Intelligence Management Center, Mr. Dendias was given an overview of their mission by officers and witnessed a demonstration illustrating how attacks from a fleet of Unmanned Aircraft Systems can be effectively countered in real operational conditions.
At the end of his visit at Fort Sill, Mr. Dendias stated, “today, I had the pleasure of visiting Fort Sill, which is the home of the US Army’s Joint Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-sUAS) University. Members of the US Armed Forces are undergoing training here in drone warfare and during my visit, there was a demonstration showing how a fleet of drones can be effectively dealt with, which is extremely important”. He continued, “I was informed about the latest developments in drone warfare and I believe that on the occasion of my visit, a period of close cooperation between the aforementioned University and the Hellenic Armed Forces will begin”.
Stressing the importance of counter-UAS in modern warfare, the Minister also commented, “I am so concerned that the Hellenic Armed Forces should have state-of-the-art knowledge and experience in the battle against fleets of drones. I think we all understand the importance of it for our Country.”
Oklahoma is the first stop in the Minister’s visit to the United States, where he also had the opportunity to meet with officers from the Hellenic Army who were undergoing training in modern artillery fire directing technologies. He stated, “I had the opportunity to meet two of our officers undergoing training in other Artillery systems as well. And here is where the US Artillery School is housed, where dozens of our Officers have been trained over the years. Therefore, my wish is that our relationship with this Institution becomes deeper and that the training process covers all areas”.
Post Images Credit: Hellenic Republic Ministry of Defence.
