In an unprecedented exercise for the Hellenic Navy in the Aegean, the decommissioned frigate Bouboulina (F-463) was used as a target vessel for test firings of guided missiles before being sunk by a submarine-launched torpedo.

The operation took place in the northern Cretan Sea as part of acceptance trials for the new SPIKE NLOS and SPIKE ER weapon systems, with the participation of units from the Greek and Israeli navies.

The acceptance firings of the SPIKE NLOS and SPIKE ER guided missiles took place two days ago in the wider northern Cretan Sea area, in the presence of Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff General Dimitrios Choupis, Israeli Navy Commander Vice Admiral Eyal Harel, Chief of the Hellenic Navy General Staff Vice Admiral Dimitrios-Eleftherios Kataras and Chief of the Hellenic Fleet Vice Admiral Christos Sasiakos.

The exercise involved ships from the Hellenic Navy’s Fleet Command, Frigate Command, Submarine Command, Fast Attack Craft Command, Surveillance Ship Command and Underwater Demolition Command, as well as helicopters from the Naval Aviation Command, assets from the Hellenic Air Force and two Israeli Navy ships equipped to carry guided missiles.

Watch the video of the exercise

The guided missile firings were carried out by the gunboat Machitis and a Mark V special operations craft, with complete success, confirming the effectiveness and operational value of the new weapon system.

Cooperation with Israeli Navy ships also helped improve operational interoperability between the two navies. Israeli Navy units additionally conducted guided missile firings of their own.

📍 Βόρειο Κρητικό Πέλαγος 📅 21 Οκτωβρίου 2026 Ο Αρχηγός #ΓΕΕΘΑ, Στρατηγός Δημήτριος Χούπης, παρέστη στις βολές αποδοχής κατευθυνομένων βλημάτων (Κ/Β) SPIKE NLOS και ER του Πολεμικού Ναυτικού, παρουσία του Αρχηγού Ναυτικού του Ισραήλ, Αντιναυάρχου Eyal HAREL, και του Αρχηγού ΓΕΝ, Αντιναυάρχου Δημητρίου-Ελευθερίου Κατάρα ΠΝ. Οι βολές πραγματοποιήθηκαν με απόλυτη επιτυχία, ενώ παράλληλα διεξήχθησαν βολές κατευθυνομένων βλημάτων επιφανείας-επιφανείας (Κ/Β Ε-Ε) από μονάδες του Ισραηλινού Ναυτικού. 🔗 Περισσότερες πληροφορίες ➡️ https://t.co/VrZXTBjcDt #HNDGS #ΕΔ #ΕνοπλεςΔυναμεις #ΠολεμικόΝαυτικό #SPIKENLOS #SPIKEER #ΕπιχειρησιακήΕτοιμότητα #ΠάνταΈτοιμοιΠάνταΙσχυροί #AlwaysReadyAlwaysStrong @Hellenic_MOD @HAspokesman @NavyGR @HAFspokesperson @IDF

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— ΓΕΕΘΑ-HNDGS (@hndgspio) October 23, 2026

The target vessel was the decommissioned frigate Bouboulina (F-463), which was subsequently sunk by a single SUT torpedo fired by a submarine.

As part of the missile trials, the Chief of the Hellenic Navy General Staff and the Israeli Navy Commander held a bilateral meeting aboard the Greek frigate Psara. They exchanged views on issues of mutual interest, focusing on contemporary maritime security challenges, freedom of navigation and developments across the wider Eastern Mediterranean.

Particular emphasis was placed on further strengthening cooperation between the two navies to promote regional stability and security. Both sides reaffirmed their intention to expand cooperation in naval operations, innovation and new technologies.