about us
The NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Centre (NMIOTC) is the only NATO Education & Training Facility (NETF) dedicated to the maritime domain. Officially established in 2008, is quality-assurance unconditionally accredited by Allied Command Transformation. Funded by Greece and multinationally manned, the Centre is located at the north-west of Crete, at the Akrotiri peninsula, in the northern area of Souda Bay, near the city of Chania, inside Hellenic Navy’s Souda Naval Base.
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NMIOTC Program of Work
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To reinforce the Centre’s stature as a premier Education and Training provider through continuous review and update of our course portfolio, ensuring our programs remain aligned with the operational demands of the “fight tonight” while shaping the readiness required for the “fight tomorrow”, in full support of maritime forces and Allied Command Transformation’s efforts.
latest news
Course 31000 “Harbour Protection and its Relation to MIO”
From 20 to 24 April 2026, nmiotc DELIVERED the Resident Course 31000 “Harbour Protection and its relation to MIO”, with support from the NATO Centre of Excellence for Operations in Confined and Shallow Waters (CoE CSW) and the Bundeswehr’s Technical Center for Ships and Naval Weapons, Maritime Technology and Research (WTD-71). In total, twenty three (23) trainees from eight (8) NATO Nations (Belgium, Finland, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Norway, Poland and Portugal) were trained in the application of NATO Practices & Procedures regarding the operational and tactical dimensions of planning and conducting Harbour Protection Operations (HPO).
Visit of the Force Commander of EUNAVFOR MED IRINI
On 2 April 2026, the Force Commander of EUNAVFOR MED IRINI, Rear Admiral (LH) Andrea Bielli, paid a visit to the NMIOTC, during which he had an office call with the Commandant, Commodore Pavlos Angelopoulos.
NMIOTC Presence at Military Strategic Partnership Conference 2026
From 23 to 26 March 2026, NMIOTC participated in the annual Military Strategic Partnership Conference for 2026 (MSPC 26), as a NATO Education and Training Facility (NETF) and continuum member of Military Strategic Partnership (MSP).The conference was organized and conducted by NATO SHAPE Partnership Directorate (SHAPE PD) and held in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH). MSPC is a hub for exchanging information between NATO and Partners on new developments in Cooperative Security and discussing Partnership programs for future years. In conjunction with the Conference, SHAPE PD hosted an exhibition of all NATO and Partners Education and Training Facilities accessible to