Iniochos 2025: Air forces train over the Mediterranean under the shadow of real-world threats

On Friday, April 11, the multinational air exercise Iniochos 2025 officially concluded, marking the end of two intense weeks of high-tempo air operations across the Athens FIR. The exercise, which began on March 31, was hosted primarily at Andravida Air Base in western Greece, where nearly all foreign fighter detachments were based. The majority of Hellenic Air Force (HAF) assets operated from the 116 Combat Wing.

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13 april 2025 | 13:01 | Source: Gazeta Morska | Prepared by: Kamil Kusier | Print

fot. Hellenic Air Force

This year’s iteration of Iniochos was the largest since the drill became an INVITEX (Invitation Exercise), with 12 countries contributing air assets and personnel. Participating nations included:

France – Mirage 2000
India – Su-30
Israel – G-550
Italy – Tornado
Montenegro – Bell 412
Poland – F-16
Qatar – F-15
Slovenia – PC-9
Spain – F/A-18 Hornet
United Arab Emirates – Mirage 2000-9
United States – F-16, KC-46, and KC-135
Greece – Full spectrum of HAF fighter, rotary-wing, transport, and trainer aircraft

Over the course of the exercise, approximately 1,300 sorties were conducted, showcasing a wide range of modern air combat capabilities.

Contributions from the Hellenic Army, Hellenic Navy, and the Hellenic Special Warfare Command played a critical role in shaping the exercise’s complex operational scenarios. Observer delegations from Bahrain, Cyprus, and Slovakia also attended, reflecting broader regional interest in joint readiness.

Throughout Iniochos 2025, participating air forces conducted a full range of missions in a demanding operational environment, with both day and night sorties. The exercise also extended into the virtual battlespace via Tactical Simulators for F-16 platforms at the Hellenic Air Tactics Center, further enhancing interoperability in a digital context.

Iniochos continues to serve as a key multinational training platform, reinforcing NATO and partner air force cooperation while adapting to the realities of modern conflict scenarios in the Mediterranean and beyond.