Fighter and transport jets from several NATO countries have landed at Andravida Air Base in Greece for the upcoming Ramstein Flag 2024 exercise.
The training, led by NATO’s Allied Air Command and hosted by the Hellenic Air Force, will take place from September 30 to October 10, 2024.
Ramstein Flag, designed to enhance cooperation, interoperability, and integration, is considered a vital component of NATO’s future exercise strategy. The training will focus on preparing for current and emerging threats.
“We will execute further improved tactics, more robust integration leading to stronger deterrence,” said General James B. Hecker, Commander of Allied Air Command.
Participating forces include Greece, France, Italy, Sweden, and the United States among others. The exercise will also feature AWACS aircraft from NATO and France, providing air operations control.
While thirteen countries initially planned to participate, Turkey opted out due to ongoing disagreements over the area covered by the Athens flight information region (FIR), a contentious issue since 1974.
The Turkish Air Force’s refusal to submit flight plans in Greek airspace led to its withdrawal, marking the second such instance following a similar decision during NATO’s 2022 Tiger Meet.
3 comments
Refusing to file flight plans in busy air space puts everyone at risk. I can understand Athens FIR being a bit miffed over that. I also know Turkey and Greece have not been “friends” for a pretty long time, so I can see the “sticking it” to each other here…
Turkey still threads Greece with war until today. They claim greek islands like Crete or Rhodos should be turkish. The turkish goverment provokes every month the greeks with claiming greek territory like the war doctrine turkey started “blue homeland”, were like 50% of the islands will be conquered by turks. Turkey is not a trusfull partner: No sanktions to russia, deals with iran, supports hamas and hisbolla and the IS. they are a thread to the western world. Greece is doing fine, as always!
The most ridiculous comment I have ever seen.