A Retired Frigate Served as the Target
The Hellenic Navy published its account on October 23, 2026, identifying the training area north of Crete. The IDF released its statement and footage on October 24, 2026, describing cooperation between Israel’s missile ship flotilla and Greek naval forces in the Mediterranean.
The target was the decommissioned Greek frigate Bouboulina, F-463. Greece said guided missiles struck the vessel before a submarine fired the SUT torpedo that sank it. That sequence adds precision to the Israeli description of practicing the sinking of a hostile vessel with missiles. The ship was an exercise target, and the activity was training rather than combat.
Which Forces Took Part
Israel contributed two vessels carrying guided missiles from its missile ship flotilla. Neither official statement examined named those ships, so their individual identities and classes cannot be established from the written releases.
The Greek contingent included forces from the frigate, submarine, fast craft, patrol vessel and underwater demolition commands. Naval aviation helicopters and Hellenic Air Force assets also participated.
Acceptance firings for SPIKE NLOS and SPIKE ER systems were conducted from a Machitis class gunboat and a Mark V special operations craft. Israeli vessels also fired guided missiles. The Hellenic Navy described the tests as successful, saying they demonstrated the systems’ effectiveness and operational value. Its release did not provide separate performance figures for each launch.
Shared Awareness and Commanders’ Talks
The IDF said crews practiced identifying and countering maritime threats, sailing as a combined force and developing a shared maritime picture. It presented readiness and coordinated defensive and offensive capabilities as central objectives.
Those present included Israeli Navy commander Eyal Harel, Hellenic Navy chief Dimitrios Eleftherios Kataras, Greek armed forces chief Dimitrios Choupis and fleet commander Christos Sasiakos. Harel described the partnership with Greece as strengthening the two countries’ capacity to protect security and freedom of navigation.
The Greek statement also recorded a meeting between the navy chiefs aboard the frigate Psara. Their discussions covered maritime security challenges, navigation and developments in the Eastern Mediterranean. Both sides expressed interest in expanding cooperation in naval operations, innovation and new technologies.
From September Training to Achilles Shield
The exercise follows an earlier round of cooperation. Kathimerini reported on September 17, 2026, that two Greek frigates and two Israeli missile boats had recently trained in the Eastern Mediterranean. Those drills covered threats at sea, search and rescue, and emergency scenarios. The report did not specify the exact exercise date.
A separate defense milestone came on August 31, 2026, when the Achilles Shield agreement was signed in Tel Aviv. Greece’s Defense Ministry described a program combining defenses against aircraft, ballistic missiles and drones with an integrated command and control system.
Achilles Shield is an air defense program. Neither navy’s statement identified the exercise off Crete as an acceptance test for that project. The verified connection is the wider defense relationship, rather than a claim that the two activities were the same procurement program.
The Wider Partnership With Cyprus
In their joint summit declaration of December 22, 2025, Israel, Greece and Cyprus committed to deeper defense cooperation and protection of shipping routes and critical infrastructure. Energy and regional connectivity also featured in that framework.
The training off Crete gives practical substance to the bilateral naval relationship within this broader regional partnership. The official releases do not list a Cypriot force among the participants or announce an operation against a named country. They establish joint firing and coordination exercises, together with a stated intention to expand cooperation at sea.
