It’s a boiling summer morning on the coast of Athens, and I’m standing alongside a phalanx of modern-day Greek warriors looking out over the Aegean Sea.

I’m here to do what no foreign journalist has ever done: take them through a series of cutting-edge training exercises.

ETA – Eidiko Tmhma Aleksiptothston in Greek – is the special parachute regiment of the Greek army: the elite of the elite. A top tier special operations unit comprised of the most skilled members of the Greek Special Forces.

Founded in 1959, its mission was to deploy quickly behind enemy lines to wage unconventional warfare and harass enemy forces. The regiment participates 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 . Simulating real-world operations, the unit carried out various missions using the full range of infiltration skills and techniques. After nearly 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 for deployment in the part of a NATO special operations ground task force.

I am here to see this versatility and skills in several areas. The first is a hostage rescue exercise involving storming a simulated target building. I ride with my guide for the day, Major Antonis Kratimenos, to an abandoned field. We stop and I get out and wait.

Suddenly I hear screams and gunshots. Four jeeps appear screaming near a building. Six commandos emerge, firing automatic rifles as they run towards the building.

David Patrikarakos joins ETA – Greek army’s elite soldier squad inspired by the SAS

The regiment participates in the most critical operations not only for Greece, but also for many of its NATO allies.

ETA is a first-tier special operations unit composed 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 jeeps continue to provide covering fire.

A little less than a minute later, they emerge with the hostage, jump in the Jeep and drive away. Each movement was quick but deliberate; every corner perfectly covered. “Speed ​​and precision,” Antonis told me. “This is how you get the job done.”

The entire operation lasted less than three minutes.

This is not surprising. ETA only recruits the best. The journey 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 succeed.

And this is 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 receive the ETAS brigade insignia: a winged sword associated with the motto “Who Dares Win”, borrowed from their British SAS counterparts.

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) skydiving techniques, allowing them to infiltrate hostile territory without being detected.

ETA only recruits 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 succeed

ETA’s capabilities also extend to stealth amphibious landings, allowing them to deploy to coasts.

The NSHQ gave the ETA the highest rating possible, declaring it “combat ready” for deployment for NATO.

Their capabilities also extend to amphibious warfare. At sea, I joined a fleet of fast boats surging in formation on the waves. ETA’s capabilities also extend to stealth amphibious landings, allowing them to deploy to, often highly defended, coastlines.

Their adaptability was again on full display when, a few days later, I integrated with them again 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 glistening 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 were noncombatant evacuation operations (NEO), in which operators extracted civilians from the most volatile situations. ETA soldiers are as skilled in humanitarian missions as they are in combat operations.

However, their primary mission remains the defense of Greece’s borders – a task made even more vital by the region’s persistent territorial disputes and geopolitical tensions, which bring the prospect of mass conflict closer than ever.

It’s a possibility we can no longer ignore and one that I discuss each week with various guests on 90 Seconds To Midnight, the Daily Mail’s weekly world news podcast.

ETA’s reputation is built on a culture of discreet professionalism. Although much about the unit remains secret, their abilities speak for themselves. As I prepared to leave, Major Antonis shared a parting thought with me: “We are not doing this for glory. We do it because it needs to be done, and we are the best at doing it.