Iniochos 2025 | Aviation Press

Author: Ian French

Photography: Ian French & Jon Astley

Exercise Iniochos is an annual operational and tactical level training exercise hosted by the Greek Air Tactics Centre at Greece’s Fighter Weapons School at Andravida Air Base. Originally Iniochos was a national exercise and first started in the 1980s with the forward deployment of the Fighter Weapons School to Larissa.

In 2005 the exercise was decentralised and operated from multiple bases so basically all participants operated from their home bases with the planning and coordination taking place at the Air Tactics Centre and Fighter Weapons School facilities at Andravida. From 2013 it was decided to operate a Single Base Concept and the exercise has been centred at Andravida. From 2015 foreign countries have participated.

The 2025 edition ran from 31 March to 11 April and had the most foreign participants yet. 1,300 sorties were conducted. Bahrain, Cyprus, and Slovakia participated as observer nations.

The main exercise objective is to expose personnel to an intensive battle rhythm with realistic attrition rates and challenging scenarios which include multiple modern threats and real time live events, 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. Results are captured and assessed with the use of onboard and off board tracking data, sensors and specialised debriefing software, which is used for the reconstruction of the mission by experienced Fighter Weapons School instructors, who oversee the debriefing process.

The exercise is designed to cover missions 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

Overseas participants based at Andravida were:

482 Fighter Wing from Homestead ARS, USA with 93 Fighter Squadron with F-16C

122 Squadron from Nevatim, Israel with G-550

8 Squadron from Bareilly AFS, India with Su-30MKI-3

6 Stormo with 154 Gruppo and 155 Gruppo from Ghedi, Italy with Tornado IDS/ECR respectively

76 Squadron from Al Dhafra, UAE with Mirage 2000-9DAD/EAD

Helikopterska Eskadrila from Podgorica-Gulobovci, Montenegro with AB412EPi

3 elt from Poznañ-Krzesiny, Poland with F-16C

5 Flying Wing from Al-Udeid AB, Qatar with F-15QA

152 LEESK with PC-9M from Cerklje ob Krki, Slovenia

Ala 46 from Las Palmas-Gando, Spain with EF-18A+

EC01.003 & EC02.003 from Nancy-Ochey, France with Mirage 2000D

Visiting Greek units were:

111 PM from Nea Anchialos with 330 Mira, 341 Mira and 347 Mira with F-16C

114 PM from Tanagra with 331 Mira with Mirage 2000-5BG/EG & 332 Mira with Rafale DG/EG

115 PM from Souda with 340 Mira and with F-16C/V

In addition, the Andravida based F-4E(AUP) of 338 MDV participated.

Aviation Press would like to thank the Defence Section of the British Embassy, Athens and the Hellenic Air Force for their assistance with the visit

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SB319 Su-30MKI-3 of 8 Squadron

SB319 Su-30MKI-3 of 8 Squadron taxiing out

SB166 Su-30MKI-3 of 8 Squadron

SB140 Su-30MKI-3 of 8 Squadron deploying its chute

SB140 Su-30MKI-3 of 8 Squadron

SB140, 166 & 319 Su-30MKI-3 8 Squadron

QA525 F-15QA of Flying Wing 5

QA525 F-15QA of Flying Wing 5 taxiing out

MM7052 Tornado ECR coded 6-64 of 6 Stormo taxiing out

MM7086 Tornado IDS coded 6-60 of 6 Stormo taxiing out

MM7086 Tornado IDS coded 6-60 of 6 Stormo departing Andravida

MM62201 P180 of SATA arriving for the Press Day

QA515, 516 & 525 F-15QA of Flying Wing 5 taxiing out

QA515 F-15QA of Flying Wing 5

QA516 F-15QA of Flying Wing 5

QA525 F-15QA of Flying Wing 5

MM7052 Tornado ECR coded 6-64 of 6 Stormo landing

MM7052 Tornado ECR coded 6-64 of 6 Stormo departing Andravida

MM7013 Tornado IDS coded 6-75 of 6 Stormo

MM7004 Tornado IDS coded 6-55 of 6 Stormo departing Andravida

MM7004 Tornado IDS coded 6-55 of 6 Stormo

L9-61 PC-9M of 152LE

F-16Cs of 93FS taxiing out for a morning mission

C15-81 EF-18A+ coded 46-09 of Ala46 being towed from the Press Day static display

01520 F-4E(AUP) of 338 Mira

4045 F-16C of 3 elt

4049 F-16C of 3 elt

4056 F-16C of 3 elt

71745 71760 01503 & 01520 F-4E(AUP) of 338 Mira returning from a mission

71745 F-4E(AUP) of 338 Mira

71760 F-4E(AUP) of 338 Mira departing with a very smokey trail

71745 F-4E(AUP) of 338 Mira

01520 F-4E(AUP) of 338 Mira

01518 F-4E(AUP) of 338 Mira

01503 F-4E(AUP) of 338 Mira

01501 F-4E(AUP) of 338 Mira

759 Mirage 2000-9EAD of 76 Squadron being towed from the Press Day stratic display

741 C-130H of 356 Mira arriving for the Press Day

456 Rafale EG of 332 Mira

504 & 536 F-16C 509 & 527 F-16V of 340 Mira

507 Mirage 2000-5BG of 331 Mira

549 Mirage 2000-5EG of 331 Mira

552 Mirage 2000-5EG of 331 Mira

555 Mirage 2000-5EG of 331 Mira

662 Mirage 2000D coded 3-XA of EC02.003

735 B200T of 100Sq of IDFAF arriving for the Press Day

456 Rafale EG of 332 Mira

455 Rafale EG of 332 Mira

103 TBM700 coded XI of ETE00.041 departing from the Press Day

87-0288 F-16C coded FM of 93 Fighter Squadron

86-0334 F-16C coded FM of 93 Fighter Squadron

051 055 061 & 071 F-16C of 347 Mira