Indian Air Force to Take Part in Multilateral Exercise in Greece

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to participate in Exercise INIOCHOS-23, a multinational air exercise hosted by the Greece Air Force from April 24 to May 4. This will be the IAF’s third simultaneous participation in exercises, with Exercise Cope India alongside the U.S. currently underway at Kalaikunda, and four Rafale fighters taking part in the multilateral exercise Orion hosted by France.

The exercise will be held at Greece’s Andravida Air Base, and the IAF will join four Su-30 MKI aircraft and two C-17 aircraft in the drills. The objective of the exercise is to enhance international cooperation, synergy and interoperability among the participating air forces.

“The objective of the exercise is to enhance international cooperation, synergy and interoperability amongst the participating Air Forces,” the IAF mentioned in a statement.

The exercise will be carried out in a realistic combat scenario that involves various types of air and surface assets. Additionally, it will provide an opportunity for the participating contingents to engage in professional interactions, allowing for valuable insights into each other’s best practices, as stated in the announcement.

The Sukhoi Su-30MKI, a twinjet multirole air superiority fighter developed by Russia’s Sukhoi and built under license by India’s Hindustan Aeronautics, will be participating in the exercise. The C-17 Globemaster III, on the other hand, is a strategic transport aircraft capable of airlifting cargo near a battle area.

Several other nations are also expected to take part in the exercise, bringing their own aircraft and personnel. These include Cyprus with an AW139 helicopter; France with Rafale fighters; Italy with Tornados; Jordan with F-16s; Saudi Arabia with F-15s; Slovenia with PC-9s; Spain with EF-18s; and the USA with F-16s and MQ-9s. Additionally, Austria will participate with INTEL personnel, and Canada will contribute Air Battle Managers.