France has just completed its largest military exercise in decades. The fourth phase of Exercise Orion 23 involved 12,000 personnel and assets from several NATO Allies, including Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The exercise, which took place over several months, concluded its fourth and final phase on May 5, 2023. The exercises focused on improving the readiness of NATO forces through joint training on land and in the air. Troops from Allied countries practiced different scenarios, including urban combat simulation, operational planning, logistics, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) defense capabilities, medical evacuation and air mobility.
The participation of Greece was with four Mirage 2000-5, whose crews once again stole the show with the skills they demonstrated. What impressed are the joint flights of the Greek pilots with their colleagues from India and France with aircraft exchanges. For example, an Indian pilot flew as a backseater in a Greek Mirage 2000-5 supporting his Greek pilot during a specific scenario.
"Operating from France as part of the multinational exercise, the Indian Air Force and Hellenic Air Force crew experienced flying each other's aircraft. An activity that helps us learn from each other and share best practices," the Indian Air Force said in a statement.
At the same time, a Greek pilot flew in the back seat of an Indian Rafale supporting his Indian pilot during the execution of a specific scenario.
Something similar happened, it is worth pointing out, during the Hiniochos 2023 exercise, during which Greek pilots flew Indian Sukhoi and Indians flew Greek F-16s.
Everything shows that Athens and New Delhi have become even closer at the military level. This is not at all accidental and not at all scornful as it is a first-rate response to the axis Turkey has built for many years now with Muslim Pakistan, which is India's number one mortal enemy.
This is a move that Paris undoubtedly welcomes as both of these countries belong to the Rafale club.
The Indian Air Force has 36 Rafale fighters but more importantly it has its own indigenous fighter program. A program from which Greece could also benefit if it seriously desired it.
