Greek F-16 fighter jets are taking part in the National Guard’s ‘IRIS-2026’ exercise, with a pair flying over the Kalo Chorio firing range on Tuesday, adding an air element to the drills for the first time since 2023.
The jets, which are stationed at the Andreas Papandreou air base in Paphos, made the flypast as part of the pre-exercise phase and the scenarios planned for the exercise.
They will take part again on Thursday, October 15, when the exercise is held in the presence of officials, including the defence minister and members of the House of Representatives.
The large-scale tactical exercise runs from Monday, October 12, to Thursday, October 15, and is one of the National Guard’s main training activities. It forms part of the National Guard’s wider operational planning and aims to put plans and procedures into practice in conditions that simulate a complex, modern operational environment, testing and evaluating the capabilities of its forces.
Live firing will take place at the Kalo Chorio firing range throughout the four-day exercise, according to an announcement from the National Guard General Staff (GEEF). For safety reasons, the public is banned from entering the range from October 12 to 15.
In last year’s exercise, all active National Guard personnel and assets took part, focusing on the planning, execution, command and control of joint operations. The final phase was also held at Kalo Chorio, with live fire from a range of weapons systems.
