ISnAP Magazine - June 2018

Held at Andravida Air Base, home of the Hellenic Air Force’s Air

Tactics Center, exercise Iniochos 2018 took place 12-23rd March and

saw aircraft from the Royal Air Force, Cyprus National Guard, Israeli

Air Force, Italian Air Force, United Arab Emirates Air Force and the

United States Air Force operating in conjunction with the host nation.

At its inception in the 1980’s, Iniochos (Charioteer) began life as an

annual Hellenic Air Force (HAF) small-scale Air Warfare exercise.

The main goal was to create a realistic training environment for the

Hellenic Air Force (HAF) fighter squadrons in accordance with Greek

national Operational Doctrines and Plans. In 2013 the HAF decided that

Iniochos would be expanded to an INVITEX-exercise. At the same time,

the HAF decided to run future Iniochos exercises on a ‘Single-Base’

concept, with Andravida chosen as the ideal location for the exercise.

As the home of the Kentro Aeroporikis Taktikis (KEAT-Hellenic Air Force

Air Tactics Center) and having large amounts of available airspace in

the area where Andravida is located, it proved ideal. In 2015, allied and

other international air forces participated for the first time, with the

Israeli Air Force being the first to take advantage of the Greek’s offer.

Iniochos gives its participants an opportunity to conduct combined

air operations (COMAO) against ‘Red-Air’ forces, which aside from

airborne adversaries, also consists of a variety of both short- and

long-range Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) systems such as; Hawk,

Velos and Patriot batteries; Man-portable air-defense systems

(MANPADS); and the Advanced Short Range Air Defense (ASRAD)

system. All kinds of modern operations are executed during Iniochos

including; Offensive Counter-Air (OCA); Defensive Counter-Air (DCA);

Suppression of Enemy Air Defense (SEAD); Combat Search &

Rescue (CSAR); Air Power Contribution to Land Ops (APCLO); Air Power

Contribution to Maritime Ops (APCMO); reconnaissance missions;

urban Close Air Support (CAS); Dynamic Targeting (DT); air strikes

against high value and Time-Sensitive Targets (TST); together with

protecting and targeting High Value Airborne Assets (HVAA).

During Iniochos, the aircraft are split into ‘Blue’ (friendly) and ‘Red’

(enemy) forces, with the majority of HAF Combat Wings involved in the

exercise simulating ‘Red-Air’ forces. The Andravida-based Tactical

Weapons School (Scholio Oplon Taktikis-SOT), a subordinate unit of

the Air Tactics Center (Kentro Aeroporikis Taktikis - KEAT), uses its

instructors to assist participating pilots with their mission planning

and tactics, whilst also acting as ‘Red-Air’ adversaries. Iniochos

missions normally involve three daily waves of aircraft, which take off

in the morning, afternoon and evenings. The exercise scenario begins

with a crisis situation that escalates to a full war, giving participants

the opportunity to be trained in full scale day and night operations.

For more detailed information on Iniochos 2018 and many more photos

you can visit my website at http://www.jetwashaviationphotos.com

HELLENIC AIR FORCE (HAF)

SMALL-SCALE AIR WARFARE EXERCISE