Special Anti-Terrorist Unit

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Eidiki Katastaltiki Antitromokratiki Monada
Active	1978 - Present
Country	Greece
Branch	Hellenic Police
Type	Special Forces
Role	Domestic Counter-Terrorism and Law Enforcement
Size	200 operators
Part of	Directly under control of the Hellenic Police
Garrison/HQ	Most operators based in Athens
Nickname	EKAM, Special Anti-Terrorist Unit (English translation of unit name)

The Special Anti-Terrorist Unit (Greek: Ειδική Κατασταλτική Αντιτρομοκρατική Μονάδα, Eidiki Katastaltiki Antitromokratiki Monada a.k.a Ε.Κ.Α.Μ.) is the Greek counter-terrorism unit of the Hellenic Police. It is the most distinguished part of the Hellenic Police. It was formed in 1978 when the first 2 antiterrorist units were created within the 2 Police Divisions that existed then (Hellenic Gendarmerie and the Hellenic Urban Police) and in 1984 were united into a single body, the Hellenic Police. In the beginning the Unit was comprised of only 150 men but when Greece became the host country of the Olympic Games of 2004 their number increased to 200 after reassessing the needs for the magnitude of the event.

1 Training
2 Operations
3 Duties
4 References

[edit] Training

The EKAM force is based in Athens, but have several detachments spread throughout Greece's major cities. Each officer is a full time member who must have at least five years on the force before being allowed to try out. Many receive training from the Greek Army's Ranger School before going on to the police counter-terrorism school.^[1]

The Special Anti-Terrorist Unit of the Hellenic Police follows a three month training program every year. For its training modern, purpose-built facilities are being used. Training can also take place in other locations such as buildings in urban or rural areas (inhabited or not), the Athens International Airport, planes of Olympic Airways, the Piraeus port infrastructure, the Hellenic Railroad system, the Athens Metro.^{[citation needed]} Other places that have been decided as suitable to cover its training needs can also be used. The Unit is in constant cooperation with other Special Units abroad such as The FBI and SAS.

[edit] Operations

The Special Anti-Terrorist Unit of the Hellenic Police, operates all around Greece and abroad whenever is deemed necessary. It has confronted challenges such as hostage situations and it has contributed in the arrests of many dangerous criminals. The SATU played a key role in the dismantling of the November 17 and Revolutionary People's Struggle terrorist organizations. In March 2003, it confronted successfully an incident on a Turkish Aeroplane which was hijacked while it flew from Istanbul to Ankara (flight no. 160) and ended up at the Athens International Airport at the order of the hijacker. In a successful operation the Unit stormed the plane and arrested the hijacker by incapacitating him with a taser^[2] and releasing all hostages safely.^[3]

[edit] Duties

Hostage situation response
High risk arrests
High risk VIP's escort
W.M.D (Weapons of mass destruction) (C.B.R.N) hostage situation, intrusion response
Special antiterrorism operations and operations against organized crime in collaboration with the Hellenic Security Forces
Rescue operations in general including physical disasters in cooperation with the Fire Brigade