Iniochos 2024 In Full Swing In Greece

Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s edition of exercise Iniochos, underway at Andravida Air Base, Greece.

Iniochos was held for the first time in the late ’80s as a small scale tactical exercise to train Greek pilots in combined air operations. Over the next years, the success of the exercise led to the decision to establish it as an annual event.

In 2005, the exercise was decentralized, with the participating aircraft operating from their home bases, while the planning and the coordination were taking place in the Air Tactics Center and the Fighter Weapons School facilities in Andravida Air Base.

F-16’s from four different Greek units participated during this years edition. Here F-16C 063 from 347 Miro roles towards the runway for its afternoon mission.

In November 2013 the decision was made to adopt a Single Base Concept, upgrading the exercise scale to medium and expanding the spectrum of operations with the objective to create a more realistic and demanding environment, with an intensive and prolonged 24/7 battle rhythm, significantly increasing the level of training.

You can read our past reports about Iniochos here: 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023.

The main objective for this exercise is to provide realistic training, which is achieved by creating a realistic battle environment.

Recently updated F-16V from 343 Mira getting airborne from runway 34 on the morning of April 10.

Participating personnel are exposed to an intensive battle rhythm with realistic attrition rates and challenging scenarios which include multiple modern threats and real time live injects, tailored to produce the fog of war and the friction effect which is expected to dominate the modern battlefield and test both the physical and psychological endurance of the modern fighter.

In order to achieve the objectives of the two weeks lasting exercise the HFWS oversees the missions from scenario planning to debriefing and makes certain that they cover the full spectrum of missions currently performed by the HAF such as:

Air operations versus 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

Given the high level of the HAF (Hellenic Air Force) personnel and the capability to conduct exercises, involving a variety of weapon systems within one of the largest exercise areas in Europe, Iniochos aspires to become the most competitive exercise in Europe and the Mediterranean region, and provide participants with a high level of training and unique experience of participation.

Still going strong in Greece, the F-4E-AUP Phantom II. It is believed 338 Mira still operates around 16 of them of which four flew during the visit. Retirement for the Greek Phantom is planned within two till three years.

This year’s edition started on Apr. 1, 2024, with the arrival of the flying participants at Andravida AB, a military base located 1.5 nm from the town of Andravida in Elis, Greece. Some familiarization flights were also flown during that first week.

On Apr. 8, the execution phase of the exercise started, with several waves each day and missions flown across the exercise areas which spread over the Greek mainland and seas. This phase will last till Thursday Apr. 18, after which all participants will redeploy back home.

Greek Mirage 2000BG performing its take off run from runway 34. According to several sources, the Mirages will be retired within the next few years as well and put up for sale together with the HAF F-16C block 30s.

During Iniochos 2024 the F-16 Tactical Simulators of the newly established HAF’s Synthetic Training Squadron (STS) will be used for a number of missions, expanding Iniochos even further into the virtual world.

This year’s participation involved large numbers of HAF assets again such as F-16C/Vs, Rafales, Mirage 2000s and F-4Es, but also helicopter, transport aircraft and air defence systems joined operating from other locations.

Foreign participants

A significant number of allies, partners and friends are taking part in the exercise with their aircraft:

Cyprus with an AW139 Helicopter
France with Rafales M’s and E-3F (later one flying from another location)
Montenegro with an B-414 Helicopter
Qatar with Rafales
Romania with F-16s
Saudi Arabia with Eurofighters
Spain with EF-18s
UK with Eurofighters (flying from another location)
USA with F-16s and MQ-9s (flying from another location)

Additionally, Austria and Portugal participate with intel personnel and special forces while Germany sent a group of observers.

The French Aeronavale sent 6 of their Rafale M jets to Andravida for Iniochos 2024. Here one of them passes the ATC tower rolling towards the runway for its afternoon mission.

Just like last year, four Spanish F/A-18A+ jets from Ala 46 participated. Here 46-11 gets airborne catching some great and very welcome spring sunshine.

Most ‘exotic’ participants came out of Qatar this year. The country sent five of their beautiful camouflaged Rafale EQ/DQs towards Andravida, belonging to 1 Squadron.

After participating last year with their F-15s, Saudi Arabia this year sent six of their Eurofighters. Here, the dual seater 1020 returns towards the flightline after its early afternoon flight together with four Greek Phantoms.

First time participating was the Romanian Air Force with their newly acquired and nicely camouflaged F-16AMs.

Here are some interesting clips of the participating aircraft flying low level in the so-called “Greek Mach Loop” during Iniochos 20224.

About Edwin Schimmel

Edwin Schimmel is a freelance photographer based near Utrecht city in The Netherlands. His first article and photo publications date back to the mid 90’s in Dutch aviation magazines like Onze Luchtmacht and De Vliegende Hollander. Later on he also got published in international aviation magazines like Air Forces Monthly and Combat Aircraft. Since 2000 he works in the Air Traffic Control at the Royal Netherlands Air Force. He reported from many bases around Europe but also in the US and Japan.