This morning was a very busy morning on the Aegean and the central Mediterranean.
The Turkish Navy ATR 72 ASW (callsign MARTI93) that we tracked yesterday while was making a test flight between Turkey and Rhodes today made a mission over the Aegean Sea. The aircraft operated inside the Athens FIR taking care never to enter Greek airspace. This type of actions, which on the Greek side are seen as real provocations, are usually carried out at low altitudes without asking for authorization from the Greek ATC.
At the same time two Turkish Air Force Airbus A400Ms (reg. 17-0078 & 18-0093 – callsign TUAF221/222) left their bases for a usual flight to Libya.
It is interesting to note that for a part of their flight, south of Crete, they were accompanied by a Greek aircraft. It would seem to be a Leonardo C-27J even if in the past a similar track has been attributed to a Lockheed P-3C.
In the meantime, an HAF Embraer EMB-145 AEW&C (reg. 374 – callsign OURAN11) has returned to Elefsis AB after a surveillance mission on the Mediterranean, probably part of the IRINI operation.