AirForces Monthly – May 2018

To counter potential new threats

• especially from Turkey – in
  the Aegean and Mediterranean,
  the HAF’s Air Tactics Centre at
  Andravida has developed new
  combat tactics and trained pilots
  from all Greek fighter squadrons
  during its last course in autumn

2017. These tactics were put to
      use in Iniohos 18 during missions
      including suppression of enemy
      air defences (SEAD), offensive
      counter-air/airfield attack, air
      interdiction/special targets, anti-
      surface warfare, target combat
      air patrol (TARCAP), high-
      asset-value combat air patrol
      (HAVCAP), combat search
      and rescue (CSAR), dynamic
      targeting, strike co-ordination and
      reconnaissance, close air support
      and time-sensitive targeting.
      The training area included the
      whole of the Athens FIR.
      The Hellenic Navy simulated a
      range of enemy air defence threats
      during the first days of Iniohos 18
      between March 12 and 16. This
      coincided with Ariadne 18, an
      international mine countermeasures
      exercise. These manoeuvres
      involved the Greek Elli-class frigate

HS Limnos (F451), other Hellenic

Navy ships and vessels from Italy,

Spain, Turkey (the Aydin-class

mine countermeasures vessel

TCG Akçay) and the UK. At the

same time, the Hellenic Navy was

engaged in an international anti-

submarine exercise involving

vessels from ten countries including

France, Germany, Italy, Turkey, the

UK and US. This was also held

in the Ionian Sea and included

the Greek frigate HS Elli (F450).

The presence of two Hellenic

Navy missile frigates in the Ionian

Sea enabled pilots from 332 Mira

(Mirage 2000EGM/BGM), 340

Mira (F-16C/D Block 52+) and

338 Mira (F-4E AUP) to practise

anti-surface warfare tactics while

confronting air defence systems

such as the RIM-7M Sparrow. RAF

Typhoons and Italian Tornados took

part in these missions as well.

From March 16, HAF and other

fighters flew in the Hellenic Navy’s

Astrapi 18 (Lightning 18) exercise,

which simulated a sudden maritime

attack against Greek islands and

territorial waters. F-16 pilots from

347 Mira drilled the use of Maverick

air-to-ground missiles via AN/

AAQ-14 LANTIRN targeting pods

and used CATM-65G captive-carry

training missiles. Pilots from the

squadron practised air-to-ground

missions involving precision-

guided bombs and unguided Mk81,

Mk82 and Mk83 iron bombs.

Air-to-air

For the pilots of the HAF’s 330,

331, 335, 336, 337, 341 and

343 Miras, most missions were

dedicated to air-to-air combat,

including combat air patrol (CAP),

HAVCAP, force combat air patrol

(FORCAP) and search and rescue

combat air patrol (SARCAP).

During these missions, two

EMB-145H AEW&C platforms from

380 Mira were forward-deployed to

Andravida. They worked alongside

a NATO E-3A and IAF Gulfstream

GV Nachshon Shavit signals

intelligence aircraft serial 679.

Most HAF fighters were part of

the Blue Forces, except the F-16s

of 330 and 337 Mira. These both

escorted Blue strike packages and

simultaneously acted as opposing

Red Forces during other missions.

Participating fighters carried

captive training missiles throughout

the exercise. During the last

three days, 336 Mira's F-16C/Ds

were noted with captive IRIS-T

and air combat manoeuvring

instrumentation (ACMI) pods

while the 337, 340, 341 and 343

Mira F-16s carried CATM-9L/

Ms. All the F-4Es – which were

involved in air-to-ground missions

• had CATM-9P or CATM-9Ls
  and the Mirage 2000s were fitted
  with captive Mica IR/EMs.
  Unlike previous years, the
  KC-135s of USAFE’s 100th ARW
  didn’t provide air-to-air refuelling
  support during the manoeuvres.
  However, RAF Voyager KC2 ZZ336
  deployed to Athens International
  Airport for two days, while an
  Aeronautica Militare KC-767A
  flew from Pratica di Mare to Al
  Minhad in order to give RAF
  Typhoon and Italian Tornado
  pilots a chance to practise aerial
  refuelling over the course of
  the final days of the exercise.

CSAR and medevac

For the first time in its history,

the Cypriot National Guard

Air Command took part in an

international exercise outside its

Right: Each HAF fi ghter squadron brought a detachment of four jets to Andravida, with the exception of the two
Tanagra-based Mirage units, which maintain quick reaction alert (QRA) duties over the Aegean Sea. Serial 505, a 331
Mira Mirage 2000-5BG, was one of a pair from this unit that took part. Babak Taghvaee
Below: This Beech B200T Zufi t V liaison aircraft, serial 856, was at Andravida to support the Israeli Air Force
contingent. It is operated by 135 Squadron ‘The Kings of the Air’ at Sde Dov. Philipp Vallianos

Above: The Italian Tornados carried a single CATM-9L and a RecceLite reconnaissance pod during Iniohos 18. This is MM7004 ‘6-55’, an IDS that has
undergone the MLU RET 7 upgrade. Philipp Vallianos Right: F-16C Barak 317 was among four examples from the Ramat David-based 117 ‘First Jet’ Squadron
that visited Andravida. Here it awaits clearance to take off while a Hellenic Air Force ‘Viper’ departs for a sortie. The IAF F-15s and F-16s were both seen with
captive Python 5 missiles. Philipp Vallianos

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

Exercise

Report Iniohos 18