Qatar sought to strengthen the capabilities of its Air Force by sending fighter pilots to Europe to participate in a major multinational exercise.
Qatar joined 13 other nations at Iniochos 2025, one of the largest and most complex air exercises in the region. The Hellenic Air Force hosted the event in March and April 2025 at Andravida Air Base in Greece.
The two-week exercise included personnel from the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Greece, Cyprus, France, Poland and Spain. Bahrain sent observers to the exercise. Qatar participated with F-15 fighters.
Iniochos 2025 engaged forces in training scenarios such as air-to-air combat, air-to-ground missions and joint operations involving various branches of the military. The exercise served as a platform to test protocols in a multinational environment and enhance tactics, techniques and capabilities of participating air forces.
Iniochos began in the late 1980s as a small-scale drill and has since grown into the large exercise it is today.
Through participation in multinational air exercises, the Qatar Emiri Air Force has enhanced skills in operational interoperability, exchange of expertise, and familiarization in conducting military operations with forces of various nationalities, cultures, languages and military doctrines.
Qatar also enjoys formidable military-to-military relations with the U.S. and NATO. The country hosts Al-Udeid Air Base and U.S. Central Command Forward Headquarters, a major staging ground for air operations against Daesh.
Sources: Hellenic Air Force, BBC, U.S. State Department, Greek Reporter