Despite Ankara's attempt to drive a "wedge" into the Athens-Tel Aviv axis and approach the government of Israel, luring the maritime zones south of Cyprus, it seems that the military cooperation between Greece and Israel not only remains strong but is constantly expanding.
In recent years, in fact, a special relationship of trust has developed between the staffs of the two states with the Chiefs of Defense Forces, but also with senior officers to talk regularly and plan joint exercises and joint trainings. To exchange critical information and know-how and lay the groundwork for strengthening cooperation in the coming years.
The "Vipers" of the Air Force will make a premiere in the Israeli exercise Blue Flag 23, with the pilots and technicians of the 343 "Asteri" Squadron feverishly preparing for the largest air "rendezvous" in the Middle East.
An exercise of high symbolism but also of substance, since it will give the Greek pilots the opportunity to train in strike missions in enemy territory and gain valuable experience, since the Israeli air force is considered to be the leader in the organization and execution of air-to-ground strike missions.
The airspace around Israel is "dangerous," particularly with Russian air defenses in neighboring Syria.
According to CNN Greece, the choice of the 343 Squadron "Asteri", which will represent the Greek colors in one of the most complex and demanding exercises in the world, also hides a special symbolism since the "Cretans" were the first to take part at Blue Flag in 2014. Almost 10 years later, the 343 returns to the Negev desert with the best of its arsenal and prepares for an impressive display of power and capabilities.
He even emphasizes that, for the Air Force, the participation of the F-16 Block 72 in this exercise is a first-class opportunity to test the Vipers in a wide variety of air combat scenarios. The GEA Staff is expected to draw useful conclusions about the fighter's behavior in a multi-threat environment, about the use of electronic warfare systems and about the "ace" hidden by the Greek "Vipers", the AESA electronic scanning radar, APG-83 .
He also notes that, under the "microscope" will be the cooperation of the F-16Vs with the Israeli F-35s, aircraft that Greece will acquire within the next few years, but also with other types of advanced aircraft. The capabilities of the F-16 Viper are quite similar to the 5th generation fighters, as they share over 95% of their software and 70% of their radar components with the F-35 and thus, the two aircraft thanks to electronics and sensors that they have can share valuable information creating a unified field of operations.
Joint exercises like Blue Flag are not just about defense, diplomacy and cooperation between foreign countries. For Israel, there is the added value of showing its strength amid a threat from Iran. The use of F-35s in combined operations on the same Link 16 network with foreign air forces is significant, as is Israel's ability to base several of the planes from the southern base of Ovda, rather than the F-35s' usual "home". at the Nevatim base in the central Negev.
In addition, the use of American Patriot systems to represent enemy air defense threats will continue this year while the combination of exercises against electronic warfare, low-altitude threats and surface-to-air missiles will bring real improvements to fighter aircrews.
By 2027, the upgrade of 83 F-16 Block 52+ adv to Viper will have been completed while the modernization of Block 50 will progress. A year later, the first of a total of 20 F-35s are expected to begin delivery. Together with the 24 Rafale and corresponding Mirage 2000-5, Greece will gain a clear air advantage, operationally covering not only the Aegean but also the Eastern Mediterranean.
