Hellenic Air Force hosts international air drills during INIOCHOS 23

Greece has hosted the international live-fly Exercise INIOCHOS 23 April 26 to May 03. The scenario ranged across the full spectrum of air operations for personnel and aircraft from five NATO Allies and four non-NATO nations. 

Under the supervision of the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) Fighter Weapons School, participants work together to plan, execute, and debrief missions during INIOCHOS 23. The exercise involves a large number of HAF assets, such as fighters – including the recently acquired RAFALE – Air Defence Systems, helicopters, transport and training aircraft. The F-16 Tactical Simulators of the newly established HAF Synthetic Training Squadron were also used for several missions, expanding this year’s edition to the virtual world. 

“Exercise INIOCHOS aspires to become the most competitive exercise in the Mediterranean region and provide participants with a high level of training allowing them to further hone their flying skill,” said Lieutenant Colonel Panagiotopoulos Ioannis, Commander, HAF Fighter Weapon School. 

Hellenic Army, Navy and Special Operations assets and personnel contribute significantly to creating complex and realistic scenarios across the exercise areas that covers mainland Greece and adjacent waters. 

Participants from Allied and international nations conduct missions across the entire spectrum of air operations including Offensive and Defensive Counter Air, Air Power Contribution to Counter-Land Operations, Air Power Contribution to Maritime Operations, Combat Search and Rescue and the prosecution of Time Sensitive Targets. 

“The culmination of INIOCHOS 23 was the traditional Acropolis flight, when the participants performed a flyby over Athens showcasing multinational cooperation, friendship and interoperability”, said Brigadier General Kanoupakis Mathaios, Commander, HAF Air Tactics Center. 

The INIOCHOS exercise series is an annual medium scale exercise based on the facilities of the Air Tactics Center at Andravida Air Base in the Northwest Peloponnese. The exercise started as a national air exercise at the tactical level in the late 1980; since 2015, it has been conducted as a multinational exercise geared to offering realistic and complex combined air operations.  

(Story by NATO Allied Air Command Public Affairs Office)