The Multinational Air Exercise “INIOHOS 2023” will be held from Monday, April 24 to Thursday, May 4, 2023, within the framework of the international activities organized and coordinated by the Hellenic National Defence General Staff (HNDGS). The said exercise will take place at Andravida Air Base (117th Combat Wing).

The exercise will focus on joint training with the participation of forces from the International Exercise of Special Forces – Special Operations Forces “ORION 23”.

“INIOCHOS 2023” will be held in the wider area of ​​the Athens FIR and will be attended by personnel and means other than the Hellenic Armed Forces:

• The Republic of Cyprus with AW139 Helicopter and Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC).
• France with RAFALE Fighter Aircraft.
• US with F-16 Fighter Aircraft, 1 MQ-9 REAPER UAV and JTAC Team.
• India with Su-30 aircraft.
• Jordan with F-16  Fighter Aircraft.
• Spain with F-18  Fighter Aircraft.
• Italy with TORNADO Fighter Aircraft.
• Saudi Arabia with F-15  Fighter Aircraft.
• Slovenia with PC-9M Aircraft and JTAC Team.

Austria and Canada will also participate in the exercise with personnel, and Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Montenegro, Bahrain, Slovakia, and Tunisia will participate as observers.

Also read: HNDGS | Completion of Frigate ELLI’s participation in UNIFIL MTF and joint exercises with Units of the Republic of Cyprus and Egypt

According to the relevant announcement of the HNDGS, this activity is divided into the following phases:

• Preparation Phase, from April 18-23, 2023.
• Implementation Phase, from April 24 to May 4, 2023, which will include a SPOTTERS DAY on Wednesday, April 26, 2023 (09:00 – 19:00) and Wednesday, May 3, 2023 (09:00 – 19:00) as well as a Distinguished Day Visitors (DV Day) with aircraft flying over the Acropolis on Friday, April 28, 2023.
• Rollover Phase, from May 5-7, 2023.

The “INIOCHOS 2023” exercise is a Tactical Exercise aiming to strengthen cooperation and interoperability between the Armed Forces of the participating countries, by conducting advanced operational training and executing complex and demanding scenarios that simulate the conditions of real operations.

The newly-upgraded F-16 VIPER and the newly-acquired RAFALE aircraft will participate for the first time in “INIOCHOS 2023” along with extensive use of 11 simulators (10 Aircraft and 1 JTAC) operating at the new Operational Synthetic Training Squadron facilities, Air Tactics Center, Andravida Air Base.

The series of “INIOCHOS” exercises has aroused the interest of friends, partners, and allied countries, as shown by their extensive participation every year, making it a pole of attraction in the field of exchange of valuable experiences of operational training and proving it as one of the most important exercises both in Europe and in the wider Mediterranean region.

Also read: HNDGS | Exercise FOREST GUARDIAN – 2023 – Photos

In parallel and in conjunction with “INIOCHOS 2023” the International Exercise of Special Forces – Special Operations Forces “ORION 23” will also be held. The exercise will take place from Monday, April 24 to Friday, May 5, 2023, in the wider land and sea area of ​​Attikovoiotia, with the participation of the Special Forces – Special Operations Forces from the newly-established Special Warfare Command of the HNDGS, the Republic of Cyprus, Austria, Bulgaria, France, Skopje, the USA, Montenegro, and Serbia as well as units of the Hellenic Police (Special Suppressive Counter-Terrorism Unit – E.K.A.M.) and of the Hellenic Coast Guard (Underwater Missions Unit) and additional Observers from Egypt and Israel.

The “ORION 23” exercise is a CFX/LIVEX/INVITEX (Command Post Field Exercise/Live Exercise/Invitation Exercise) exercise aiming to upgrade the level of understanding and the exchange of know-how between the participants as well as to increase the operational capabilities of the Special Forces – Special Operations Forces in an inter-alliance context, with the execution of complex operational scenarios of increasing difficulty and complexity both on land and at sea as well as in areas of strategic importance, such as in the country’s industrial and energy facilities.

The series of “ORION” exercises expands every year attracting more and more of the Special Forces – Special Operations Forces by friendly and allied countries, making it unique in the Special Operations Forces Exercise (SOFEX) and demonstrating the leading role of the Hellenic Special Forces – Special Operations Forces in the wider region of the Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean.

Also read: GEEF | Tactical exercise “TRIAINA – 2023” – Photos