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NATO fighter jets soaring low flying During Exercise Iniochos 2025
Filmed by our friend Dafydd Phillips during the first familiarisation day of Exercise Iniochos 2025, the cool video in this post shows NATO fighter jets soaring through “Greek Mach Loop.”
Phillips explains;
‘Iniochos 2025 familiarisation day one got off to a great start as the Armée de l’Air sent a four ship of Dassault Mirage 2000s through what has now become Greece’s Mach Loop. After the French broke the ice, we had multiple passes from many nationalities participating in the NATO exercise. It was also great to reminisce the great times of the Mach Loop as the Italian Air Force sent a three ship of Tornados to hit the Low Fly.’
Iniochos is an annual multinational air exercise and is hosted at Andravida AB, Western Greece. The 2025 iteration will commence on 24 March and all related events will conclude on 13 April.
Iniochos 2025 is divided into three phases:
- Phase 1: Deployment of Participating Forces, 24 – 30 March 2025
- Phase 2: Execution, 31 March – 11 April 2025
- Phase 3: Redeployment of Forces, 11 – 13 April 2025
The missions
Planning, execution and debriefing of all missions is supervised by the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) Fighter Weapons School, in order to secure the highest of standards. The missions cover the full spectrum of air operations performed by HAF, such as:
- Offensive Counter Air Operations (OCA)
- Defensive Counter Air Operations (DCA)
- Strategic Air Operations
- Air Power Contribution to Counter-Land Operations (APCLO)
- Air Power Contribution to Maritime Operations (APCMO)
- Reconnaissance Missions (RECCE)
- Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR)
- Time Sensitive Target (TST)
- High Value Airborne Asset (HVAA)
During Iniochos 2025, the F-16 Tactical Simulators of the newly established HAF’s Synthetic Training Squadron will be used for a number of missions, expanding Iniochos to the virtual world.
A large number of assets
Iniochos 2025 will involve a large number of HAF assets, such as fighters, Air Defence Systems, helicopters, transport and training aircraft. Additionally, Hellenic Army and Navy assets and personnel will contribute significantly to the creation of complex and realistic scenarios across the exercise areas which spread over the Greek mainland and sea.
Furthermore, in Iniochos 2025 a significant number of allies, partners and friends will participate with air assets, such as:
- France with Μ-2000
- India with SU-30
- Israel with G-550
- Italy with Tornado
- Montenegro with B-412
- Poland with F-16
- Qatar with F-15
- Slovenia with 2 PC-9
- Spain with F-18
- UAE with Μ-2000/9
- USA with F-16, KC-46 and KC-135
Additionally, Cyprus will participate with supporting personnel, while Slovakia and Bahrain will send a group of observers.
It is worth to be mentioned that, the number of the fighter aircraft and helicopter of the participating countries is the largest so far in the exercise Iniochos.
Photo credit: Dafydd Phillips
