Special Anti–Terrorist Unit (Greece)

The Special Anti–Terrorist Unit (Ε.Κ.Α.Μ. - Ειδική Κατασταλτική Αντιτρομοκρατική Μονάδα, Eidiki Katastaltiki Antitromokratiki Monada) 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 two anti-terrorist units were created within the two Police Divisions that existed then (Hellenic Gendarmerie and the Cities Police), which were united into a single body in 1984, the Hellenic Police. In the beginning the Unit had 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.

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.

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. 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, SAS and ERU via the ATLAS Network.

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 EKAM 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 and releasing all hostages safely.

Duties
including physical disasters in cooperation with the Fire Brigade
 * 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

Pistols

 * Glock 21 .45 ACP
 * SIG Sauer P229 .357 SIG
 * FN Five-seven FN 5.7×28mm
 * Ruger GP100 .357 Magnum revolver
 * CZ75 9×19mm Parabellum

Submachine Guns

 * Heckler & Koch MP5 9×19mm Parabellum. Versions used: MP5A3, MP5A4, MP5A5, MP5SD, MP5k and MP5k2
 * Heckler & Koch UMP
 * FN Herstal P90 FN 5.7×28mm
 * FN Herstal Uzi 9×19mm Parabellum

Assault Rifles

 * Colt M16A4 5,56×45mm
 * Colt M16A2 5,56×45mm
 * Colt M4A1 Carbine 5,56×45mm
 * Heckler & Koch G3A3 7,62×51mm
 * Izmash AK-47 7,62×39mm

Machine Guns

 * FN Herstal MAG 7,62×51mm

Shotguns

 * Remington 870
 * Benelli M4 Super 90
 * Molot Vepr-12

Sniper Rifles
All the above sniper rifles can be also be equipped with a special nightvision device.
 * Heckler & Koch G3SG/1 7,62×51mm with Carl Zeiss 10x42 scope
 * Accuracy International Arctic Warfare with both 7,62×51mm and .338 Lapua Magnum with mounted Schmidt and Bender 3-12x50 scopes
 * Knight's Armament Company SR-25 Stoner 7,62×51mm with mounted Leupold 3-12x50 scopes
 * Kefefs sniper rifle Version P is used

Trivia
Outside international conventions the Greek name for the unit is Special Suppressive Antiterrorist Unit. At the time of its creation in the late 1970's, counter-terrorist units were conceived to be the assault teams deployed as a last resort against hostage situations. Hence the "suppression" designation used as a euphemism indicating a terminal engagement against terrorists.