AirForces Monthly – May 2018

‘provocative’ and ‘aggressive’

missions inside Greece’s flight

information region (FIR), resulting

in Greek F-16Cs being scrambled

from Souda and Skyros. Since

last summer the THK has also

carried out intelligence-gathering

sorties using its E-7Ts from 131

Filo flying from Konya to monitor

Israeli Air Force (IAF) activity over

the eastern Mediterranean.

During Iniohos 18, many of the

maritime missions were flown

over the eastern Aegean and the

area between the Greek islands

of Rhodes and Kastellorizo, a

potent gesture considering the

current tensions with Turkey

and the diplomatic problems

regarding the Cyprus EEZ.

On the HAF side, Iniohos 18

involved almost 1,000 air and

groundcrews and 45 fighters.

The HAF fighter total comprised

26 F-16Cs, seven F-16Ds,

seven F-4E AUPs, one Mirage

2000-5BG, a Mirage 2000-5EG,

and three Mirage 2000EGs from

11 squadrons. HAF support

assets based elsewhere included

EMB-145 AEW&C aircraft at

Elefsina, F-16C/D Block 52+

Advanced jets from 335 Mira at

Araxos with Goodrich DB-110

reconnaissance pods, and

Pegasus II unmanned aerial

vehicles (UAVs) from Larissa for

battle damage assessment.

Another 41 jets were provided

by foreign participants. These

took in four IAF F-16Cs and six

F-15Is, six Tornado IDS MLUs of

the Aeronautica Militare’s 154°

Gruppo/6° Stormo, six Typhoon

FGR4s from the Royal Air Force’s

No 3 (Fighter) Squadron, six

Mirage 2000-9EADs from the

UAEAF&AD’s 71 Squadron,

and 13 F-15Es of USAFE’s

492nd Fighter Squadron, 48th

FW. Compared with the 2017

and 2016 exercises, the number

of fighters this year increased

by 36% and 70% respectively.

Participants deployed to

Andravida between March 5 and

8. The F-15Es arrived from RAF
   Lakenheath, Suffolk, in three
   formations with refuelling support
   from a KC-135T of USAFE’s 351st
   Air Refueling Squadron, 100th
   Air Refueling Wing. They were
   supported by 296 service personnel
   and an 86th Airlift Wing C-130J-30
   from Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
   The Typhoons from RAF
   Coningsby, Lincolnshire, flew
   to Andravida on March 8 and
   9 supported by Voyager KC2
   ZZ331 and an RAF Hercules C4.
   The RAF contingent included
   around 140 personnel.

The Emirati Mirages proceeded

from Al Dhafra to Andravida on

March 6 and were refuelled en route

by an A330-243 Multi-Role Tanker

Transport (MRTT). Two UAE C-17As

transferred ground equipment

and groundcrews and the sole

UAEAF&AD C-130H-30 carried

equipment including spare parts.

Finally, the Cyprus National Guard

Air Command provided an AW139.

Air-to-ground

Each of the air forces involved

aimed to increase the readiness

of its air and groundcrews to meet

a specific threat. For the RAF,

Russian military air and naval

activity in the eastern Mediterranean

is a major focus. For Greece, Israel

and Cyprus, ‘provocative’ activities

by the THK and Turkish Navy in the

east and southeast Mediterranean

are of particular concern.

Brothers in arms

Iniohos history

Iniohos (‘charioteer’ in Greek) was

established in 1988 as a small-

scale tactical-level exercise to

practise combined air operations.

From the beginning, the HAF’s Air

Tactics Centre, which includes the

Fighter Weapons School, has been

responsible for preparing HAF fighter

pilots for participation in Iniohos. The

event has gradually expanded into

a medium-scale national exercise.

A single-base concept was adopted

in November 2013 and the spectrum

of operations was expanded, creating

a more demanding environment, with

an intensive round-the-clock battle

rhythm. For the first time, Iniohos

14 was held exclusively at Andravida

in – home of 117 Pterix Mahis (117th

Combat Wing) – and participants no

longer flew from their home bases.

The event took the form of an

invitational exercise in 2015 and

the IAF was welcomed into the

fold. Iniohos 15 included 12 F-16Is

and joint terminal attack controllers

(JTACs) and special forces from US

Air Forces in Europe (USAFE).

Alongside the IAF, F-15Es of

USAFE’s 48th Fighter Wing (FW)

took part in 2016. The following

year’s exercise added aircraft from

the United Arab Emirates Air Force

and Air Defence (UAEAF&AD) and

the Aeronautica Militare (Italian

Air Force). Philipp Vallianos

The single Cypriot National Guard Air Command AW139, serial 701,

participated only during the fi rst week. Among its missions were CSAR

scenarios supported by Blue Forces fi ghters and Hellenic Army AH-64A/DHA

attack helicopters. Babak Taghvaee

http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #362 MAY 2018 // 41