“Our duty, in order to keep our country safe, is to be at the forefront of global technology and expertise,” emphasized Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
During his visit today to the Naval Cadet School, the Prime Minister was briefed on the educational program of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) titled “MIT TRITON Summer School: Marine Robotics & Autonomous Systems Training Program,” which is being held at the School’s facilities.
The Prime Minister congratulated the Minister of National Defense Nikos Dendias, as well as all the officers of the Hellenic Navy for the fact that “they embrace so warmly,” as he characteristically put it, the new technologies.
“I am extremely pleased that we are developing a partnership with perhaps the world’s leading technological institution, MIT and the Hellenic Armed Forces, with a Greek professor, Mr. Triantafyllou, so that we can provide regular training to our officers, but especially our cadets, in the new and innovative technologies that are revolutionizing the way military operations are conducted today,” Mr. Mitsotakis emphasized. “We had the opportunity to become a little more familiar with the technology surrounding swarms of autonomous drones,” he added.
For his part, Mr. Dendias emphasized that the program consists of a “series of exceptional seminars led by MIT professors” for Greek cadets at the Naval Academy, as well as for students at the Air Force Academy and the Military Academy, introducing “a new reality.”
Describing this new reality, Mr. Dendias explained that the training involves “creating a swarm of autonomous drones at sea and beyond.” “We are bringing our cadets into contact with this new reality; we are bringing our country into a new era,” he noted.
The MIT professors, led by Mr. Triantafyllou “showed the prime minister how new technology affects the conduct of maritime operations and how it can be a huge advantage for our country,” the Minister of National Defense clarified.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) training program titled “MIT TRITON Summer School: Marine Robotics & Autonomous Systems Training Program,” is an initiative of the Ministry of National Defense and is implemented by the Hellenic Center for Defense Innovation (ELKAK), as part of its mission to transfer international know-how, upgrading the skills of Armed Forces personnel, and strengthening defense innovation in critical technologies.
The initiative is being implemented in collaboration with MIT and with logistical support from the Hellenic Naval Academy.
In accordance with the guidelines of the General Staff of National Defense (GEETHA) to take advantage of opportunities for joint-service training, the program includes officers from the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Coast Guard —the Hellenic Coast Guard, the Naval Cadet School, the National Technical University of Athens, and private entities within the maritime technology ecosystem.
The course modules combine theoretical training, laboratory testing, and practical application using robotic vessels. The practical component of the program trains participants in the design, integration, and operational deployment of autonomous marine systems.
