INIOCHOS 2023

Also this year in Greece the Iniochos 2023 exercise took place at the Andravida air base and also this year BSA, thanks to its collaborators, was able to participate in this event considered: the Largest International Military Exercise in Greece for NATO Allies and Partner Nations .

This year’s exercise, which took place from April 24th to May 5th, “INIOCHOS 2023” saw the participation of 12 countries together with Hellenic Air Force (HAF).
Specifically, participants were Cyprus with an AW139 helicopter and JTACs, France with Rafales, India with SU-30S from , Italy with Tornados from 6th Fighter Wings, Jordan with F-16s, Saudi Arabia with F-15SA, Slovenia with PC-9s and JTACs, Spain with EF-18s, USA with F-16s, MQ-9s and JTACs, Austria with INTELs and Canada with Air Battle Managers.

The air flight formations also worked in particular with troops and land and naval assets, covering a wide range of joint operations, but also aerial refueling exercises with the use of tankers.
The aim of the exercise is to improve collaboration, interoperability and synergies between the forces that participated in the multinational exercise.

Phases

Exercise was divided into four phases:

Phase 1: Preparation
Phase 2: Force Transfer
Phase 3: Operation
Phase 4: Folding

Missions

In order to achieve the objectives, HFWS (Hellenic Fighter Weapons School) oversees the missions from scenario planning to debriefing and makes certain that they cover the full spectrum of missions currently performed by the Hellenic Air Forces such as:

Air operations vs Integrated Air Defense System (IADS)
Offensive Counter Air/Airfield Attack
Air Interdiction/Special Targets (bridges, power stations, vehicles, etc.)
Anti-Surface Warfare
Slow Mover Protection (SLOMO)
Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR)
Dynamic Targeting (DT) – Strike Coordination and Reconnaissance (SCAR) – Close Air Support (CAS) – Time Sensitive Targets (TST)
High Value Airborne Asset (HVAA) Protect/Attack

Greek Mach Loop

Another peculiarity of this year in Greece is that the crews were able to test their flying skills also in what is considered by many sector enthusiasts as the “Greek Mach Loop”, a low flying zone that is normally used by HAF pilots, which is located in one of the canyons located in the north-west of the Peloponnese peninsula.

Conclusion

Like many other exercises involving NATO members, Iniochos also has considerable importance for its correct conduct and the accumulation of joint information among participating members. With the participation of Arabia and India, the range of importance of the exercise also expanded and consequently also gave an increase in the knowledge and experience of the crews who took part in the event. The appointment is now postponed to 2024, again at the Andravida Air Base in Greece.$