On Friday, February 13th, 2026, Rear Admiral (LH) Cristian Nardone (ITA N), Commander, Standing NATO Maritime Group Two, visited NMIOTC. During his visit, he was informed about the Centre’s mission, role, training and transformational capabilities/activities.
A training need analysis (TNA) working group took place from 09 to 11 Feb 2026 at the NMIOTC Premises. Six (6) SMEs (GRC, ITA, ROU and BGR) from FRONTEX, Hellenic Navy, Hellenic Coast Guard and NMIOTC reviewed the training material of the new NMIOTC course 34000 – Irregular Migration and Maritime Interdiction Operations. The aim of the course is to prepare maritime personnel and command teams to safely and effectively manage irregular migrant incidents and crises at sea, combining operational decision-making with humanitarian response.
Based on a request from the Spanish Navy Frigate ESPS CANARIAS, on February 9th, 2026, NMIOTC delivered one-day Tailored Training to a 16-member Boarding Team, aiming at improving VBSS capacity in Maritime Interdiction Operations as well as Close Quarter Combat skills. On the occasion of the training, NMIOTC Commandant had an office call from the C.O. of ESPS CANARIAS, Commander Juan David Garcia Garcia.
From 02 to 6 February 2026, NMIOTC conducted the NATO-Approved Course 1000 “Command Team MIO Issues”. The aim of the course is to assist Staff Officers and Naval Units’ Command Teams in the efficient application of NATO standards in planning and execution of Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO). This comprehensive training package offers in-depth understanding of MIO through both theory and practical simulator-based application. Thirteen (13) trainees from nine (9) NATO & Partner Nations (Belgium, Bulgaria, Egypt, Georgia, Kuwait, Malta, Norway, Saudi Arabia and Ukraine) attended the course.
On Thursday, 22 January 2026, in the presence of the Deputy Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff (HNDGS), Vice Admiral Theodoros Mikropoulos GRC (N), as representative of the Chief of HNDGS, General Dimitrios Choupis, the handover ceremony of the Command of NMIOTC from Rear Αdmiral Periklis Piyis GRC (N) to Commodore Pavlos Angelopoulos GRC (N), was held at the Centre’s premises. The ceremony was attended by dignitaries from the civilian, military and religious authorities.
In the context of the NATO Defence Capacity Building (DCB) package for Jordan, in order to support the Maritime Border Security Initiative, NMIOTC delivered from 14th to 18th of December, 2025, a Tailored Training package to twenty-seven (27) Officers and Petty Officers of the Royal Jordanian Navy, by deploying a Mobile Education and Training Team (METT) at the Royal Naval Base in Aqaba, Jordan.
