A Greek F-16 fighter jet flies over Andravida air base, about 279 kilometres (174 miles) southwest of Athens, April 1. [AP]
Signifying deepening relations between Greece and India, four fighter jets and two transport aircraft as well as Air Force personnel are currently stationed at the Jodhpur Air Base in Rajasthan, northwest India, to participate for the first time in the large-scale multinational exercise Tarang Shakti 24.
The jets and crews arrived in India after completing a 3,000-kilometer journey with two stops for refueling, in an area where the Hellenic Air Force had never operated before.
The Greek military presence in India comes in return for the invitation of the Indian Air Force’s participation in Iniochos 23 with Su-30 aircraft.
The deepening of strategic relations between Athens and New Delhi was formalized last April, when the two countries signed a military cooperation program for the first time in their history.
Sources noted that reciprocal deployment of air forces is just the beginning of their military cooperation.
