On Friday, 01 April 2022, the Minister of National Defence Mr. Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos attended DV Day of the International Joint Medium-Scale Air Exercise “INIOCHOS 22”, which was conducted at the 117th Combat Wing in Andravida.
DV Day was also attended by the Deputy Minister of National Defence Mr. Nikolaos Chardalias, the Chief of Hellenic National Defence General Staff, General Konstantinos Floros, the Chief of Hellenic Army General Staff, Lieutenant General Charalampos Lalousis, the Chief of Hellenic Navy General Staff, Vice Admiral Stylianos Petrakis HN, the Chief of Hellenic Air Force General Staff, Lieutenant General (HAF) Themistoklis Bourolias, the US Ambassador to Greece, Mr. Geoffrey Pyatt, representatives of foreign diplomatic missions, Defence Attachés, and foreign military delegations.
As a high-intensity activity, exercise “INIOCHOS” is conducted on an annual basis, simulating a multiple-threat environment, with the objective of enhancing the effectiveness of the forces involved. Sending a message of unity and deterrence, this year’s exercise included forces, with multiple assets and personnel, from the French Navy, the Air Forces of the US, Israel, Italy, Cyprus, Slovenia, Austria, and Canada, as well as observers from Egypt, Albania, Austria, the Republic of North Macedonia, the UK, India, Kuwait, Croatia, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia.
After the conclusion of the activities, the Minister gave the following address:
“Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to extend a very warm welcome to exercise INIOCHOS 2022, here at the premises of the Hellenic Air Force Base in Andravida.
It’s an honour and a pleasure for me to address today such a distinguished audience from outstanding partners and allies, as well as from all branches of the Hellenic Armed Forces.
This year, the large participation to “INIOCHOS” clearly demonstrates its ever increasing scope and importance. We welcome participants from France, Israel, Italy, Cyprus, Austria, Canada, last, but not least, the United States of America. We welcome also the observers from the UK, Egypt, Albania, North Macedonia, India, Kuwait, Croatia, Morocco and Saudi Arabia.
Allow me to cordially thank you all and express my appreciation, in particular, to the Armed Forces and personnel of all countries for their significant contribution with assets to the success of this exercise.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The current highly volatile geopolitical environment presents us with an interlocking set of security threats and challenges of a probably unprecedented scale, magnitude, and destabilising potential. Moreover, the security environment in the Eastern Med is one of the most sensitive in the world; nobody can face this reality alone. In order for us to deal with the challenges and overcome, we need to coordinate and confront in a collective manner any type of such a threat or challenge to our wider region and to our countries.
And this is what we are doing here today, we are sending a strong message of unity and deterrence, with our Air Force proving once again its enormous potential and our country Greece reaffirming its role and contribution as a true pillar of stability in the Eastern Mediterranean area.
Without doubt, “ΙNIOCHOS” is also of particular importance to our NATO alliance, sending a particularly strong message of resolve at a time when Russia has brought war in Europe, on European soil, by invading and actually ruthlessly destroying, as we speak, Ukraine.
ΙNIOCHOS is a clear proof that we are able to act effectively and successfully together in a highly demanding and challenging operational environment and, let me remark that, I feel very satisfied that this exercise is gathering momentum at the very exact time when our security challenges we are facing are gathering momentum.
So, I am confident that, departing from Andravida, you will carry home the messages of our common operational capability, collaboration, and friendship that you promoted during the exercise.
I wish you all a safe return to your bases.
Closing, I would like to thank in particular the Hellenic Air Force for the successful execution of this extremely important exercise and all those involved in the excellent organisation and staging of this significant event. We are truly delighted to have you here, thank you for your participation and, above all, for your attention.
Thank you”.
