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Air Pelopennese Odysseus Over The Pelopennese
Air Pelopennese Odysseus Over The Pelopennese
Centre of Excellence
Located approximately 300km (186 miles) west of Athens in
the Pelopennese area of Greece, Andravida has a unique
structure with two Air Force Wings based there. F-4E AUP-
equipped No.117 Combat Wing comprising 338 and 339
Squadrons, and the KEAT.
Established in 1983, KEAT plays a pivotal role within the
Hellenic Tactical Air Force (HTAF) Command structure
providing a centre of knowledge for modern aerial warfare,
tactics and advanced training, and assisting the on-going
development and evolution of HAF capabilities which includes
aircraft systems and weapons testing. KEAT and the SOT also
fulfil an important role providing a direct interface between
the operational squadrons and Tactical Command HQ based at
Larissa AB, in northern Greece.
A number of systems were evaluated and tested during the
latest course were testing of the FLIR (forward looking infrared)
system on a pair of Army CH-47SD Chinooks and the self
protection system integrated on Mirage 2000EGM and Mirage
2000-5 fighters present but no results were made available.
When the SOT or Fighter Weapons School was formed on June
25, 1975, it represented an evolutionary response to the
enormous upgrade and re-armament programme underway in
the HAF, which started during the early 1970s and has
continued almost unabated since. A programme was urgently
required to develop air tactics and train pilots how to employ
new types like the A-7 Corsair, Mirage F1 and F-4 Phantom to
help bridge the gap between the older second generation
fighters such as the F-84 Thunderstreak and F-104 Starfighter
and the more capable new types.
SOTs role remains just as important today. Developing the
skills and aerial tactics necessary to incorporate a slow mover
like the rugged A-7 into a COMAO alongside the latest
platforms is one of the many challenges crews face and the
SOT aids this process. With tensions in the Aegean remaining
constantly high, there is no room for complacency and the SOT
helps meet this challenge head-on.
Whilst the primary goal for SOT is to improve each pilots
tactical thinking, perhaps one of its greatest aims is to promote
tactical innovation. Provided safety is not compromised, the
school provides aircrew with an opportunity to try new tactics
something they would not normally have a chance to do.
Course Structure
Weeks 1-4 comprises class room theory covering air-to-air, air-
to-ground, ground-based air defence, general management and
COMAO planning including the execution of an ATO. This
concludes with four one hour exams. Students also produce a
paper on a chosen subject which accounts for approximately
40% of the total evaluation.
Weeks 5-16 comprise 20-25 sorties encompassing tactical
elements of dissimilar air combat training, low-level flying,
close air support, tactical support for maritime operations
referred to as TASMO all of which accounts for 60% of the
evaluation. Each student works up to very complex formations
employing a full COMAO at the end of the course. Each flight,
assessed by the instructor pilot in consultation with the aircrew,
is graded out of 100. Crews can fly unfamiliar roles if they wish
and their grading will reflect this.
Successful graduation as an instructor qualifies the pilot as a
mission commander or package leader, whilst those completing
the course as a graduate must return to Andravida to pass one
of the annual two-week COMAO leadership courses. These are
broadly similar to the NATO Tactical Leadership Programme
held at Los Llanos-Albacete AB in Spain.
Week 1 is the theory phase covering general principles of
COMAO planning and force composition analysis considering for
example how to integrate different types including slow movers
into a strike package.
Week 2 is the practical phase and covers ATO analysis,
planning and execution. The ATO itself is a detailed operational
plan which directs each mission. During the execution of the
ATO students will rotate to ensure they cover each position
within the COMAO. Each student is given an ATO from which
they then devise an appropriate plan. We are looking for each
individual to fulfil all the required theoretical prerequisites in
order to become an efficient mission commander, explained Lt
Col Kyriou.
During the single, one-month helicopter course, pilots from the
Hellenic Army, Navy and Air Force receive theoretical and
practical training comprising seven sorties. For Apache pilots
practical training includes learning to fight against fast jets.
In addition, aircrew are taught about the capabilities and
tactics to employ against a variety of airborne and GBAD assets
which are then tested during the practical phase.
Last years course was larger than usual involving every Air
Force tactical squadron, two Army CH-47SD Chinooks and one
Navy S-70B Aegean Hawk. Twenty-eight HAF fixed wing
aircraft took part comprising 16 F-16s, four F-4E AUPs, one RF-
4E, two Mirage 2000-EGMs, two Mirage 2000-5s, two TA-7C
Corsair IIs and one Embraer 145H AEW&C. In addition to the
students on the course, intelligence officers, flight engineers
from each squadron and air controllers were involved.
Executing a COMAO
Once an ATO is received, the pressure is on. Aircrew must
interpret the tasking and achieve the maximum effect from it.
Structure and ultimate execution of the COMAO is vital if
course objectives are to be met.
Instructor pilots are embedded into the mission primarily as
observers although they will assist if asked or if they feel safety
could be compromised, otherwise the course students work on
their own.
Based on past experience, instructor pilots expect aircrew to
use a combination of familiar and some less familiar tactics to
integrate all of the types into the COMAO to achieve mission
objectives and their own. Lt Col Kyrio told AIR International:
Our aim is to improve the connection between the human and
tactical side. To take an ATO, visualise the scenario, figure
out the operational requirements of Tactical Command and
translate these into tactical mission objectives before factoring
in their own personal objectives is a major ordeal that can
bring its own problems.
We want to take the pilot out of the flying and see how they
can best exploit or get the maximum out of the ATO
irrespective of the aircraft they are flying. Whilst the flying
makes the pilot, some aircraft are clearly better technically
than others. Everyone here has the chance to become a
member of the Club of Aces and to do so they have to be
interested in the tactical thought process not just the flying and
the technical capabilities of their own aircraft. As a COMAO
leader you can fly an F-16 Block 52+ or an A-7 but can you co-
ordinate a plan for everyone? Our aim is to keep our guys
thinking. Results will be better if you can teach guys to go
outside their comfort zone and overcome their fears, added
the SOT boss.
Despite the capability differences between the various types
involved, speaking with the author during the 2010 course,
aircrew confirmed their belief in the philosophy and structure of
the course. Capt Kostas Anthoulakis, an F-16 pilot with 343
Squadron explained: Innovation is important in a tactical
sense but not if safety is compromised. We can go one step
further here and try things we would only try at the school.
Table 1
2010 Course Participants
Unit Base Type No Roles
330 Squadron Nea Anghialos F-16 Block 30 2 A2A, A2G
331 Squadron Tanagra Mirage 2000-5 2 A2A
332 Squadron Tanagra Mirage 2000EGM 2 A2A, A2G
335 Squadron Araxos F-16 Block 52+ (F-16M) 2 A2G,
A2A
336 Squadron Araxos TA-7C Corsair 2 A2G, TASMO
337 Squadron Larissa F-16 Block 52+ 2 A2A, A2G
338 Squadron Andravida F-4E AUP 2 A2A
339 Squadron Andravida F-4E AUP 2 A2A, A2G
340 Squadron Souda Bay F-16 Block 52+ 2 A2A,
A2G
341 Squadron Nea Anghialos F-16 Block 50 2 A2A, SEAD
343 Squadron Souda Bay F-16 Block 52+ 2 A2A,
SEAD
346 Squadron Larissa F-16 Block 30 2 A2G
347 Squadron Nea Anghialos F-16 Block 50 2 A2A, A2G
348 Squadron Larissa RF-4E 1 Tactical
Reconnaissance
380 Squadron Elefsina Embraer 145H AEW&C 1 AEW
Hellenic Navy 2 Squadron Kotroni S-70B 1
Hellenic Army 4 TEAS Megara CH-47SD 2
Key
Air Interdiction (AI) is the use of aircraft to attack tactical
ground targets that are not in close proximity to friendly
ground forces.
Ground Assisted Air Interdiction (GAAI) is air interdiction
flown deep into enemy territory in collaboration with
Special Forces who provide high value target identification
and designation.