The Greek Air Force with four Rafale fighters from the 114th Air Force Wing in Tanagra, will be deployed to France to participate in strenuous exercises with multiple scenarios in the large multinational exercise called "Volfa 2024".
It will take place from March 11 to 28 and Greece will send four Rafale fighters of the 332 Squadron this year.
According to the Air Force, this is a multinational exercise organized by the French Air Force (Armee De l'Air) and will be centered at 118 Mont de Marsan Air Base, in southwestern France.
The Greek Armed Forces will participate with Rafale fighter aircraft of the 332nd "Falcon" Squadron.
During Exercise "VOLFA", complex air mission objects covering the full spectrum of air operations will be executed, involving large Comao Formations, in an electronic warfare and multi-threat environment.
Specifically, the objects will be executed:
- Defensive/Offensive Counter Air Operations.
- Close Air Support (Close Air Support).
- Air Interdiction (Air Interdiction).
- Air interdiction (Air interdiction), Air interdiction (Air interdiction), Air interdiction (Air interdiction), Air interdiction (Air interdiction), Air interdiction (Air interdiction).
- Combat Search and Rescue.
- Time Sensitive Targeting.
The "VOLFA" air exercise takes place every two years and Greece has so far participated with Mirage 2000-5 and F-16 fighters, but for the first time with Rafale.
It is a very demanding exercise during which complex air missions are performed in an electronic warfare and multi-threat environment.
In Volfa 2023, apart from France and Greece, of course, France and Greece also participated: United States, United Arab Emirates, Portugal, Italy and Canada.
French-Greek military cooperation in force
The air exercise "VOLFA 2024" is part of the implementation of the "Guidelines for the Upgrading of the Greek-French Military Cooperation" signed by the Chief of the General Staff of the French Armed Forces, General Konstantinos Floros, and the Chief of the French Defence Staff, General Thierry Burkhard, the Greek Armed Forces participate in the framework of the broader planning of the General Staff of the Armed Forces in terms of international cooperation of the Armed Forces to strengthen synergy and interoperability with friendly and allied countries.
French-built aircraft change the picture in the Aegean
The Rafale aircraft are seen as the aircraft that will put the Aegean's guards into a new era. Two-manned, with much greater manoeuvring capabilities, equipped with weapons that will give the Icarians an advantage, the Rafale is an attraction for Top Gun Greek pilots and a deterrent for adversaries.
These fighters further improve the balance of air power in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean, as they increase the ability of the Air Force to operate at a greater range and threaten Turkish fighters from a distance, before they are even noticed by the air force of the neighbor.
One of the advantages of this aircraft is that, it is capable of carrying a variety of advanced weapons with an arsenal of payload up to 9 tons.
