Greece-Israel air exercise in Tel Aviv and Nicosia FIRs

Impressive images from the Greece-Israel “Frizis Damas 2022” air exercise, which took place on July 12, included air-to-air missions and strikes against ground targets. The Greek Air Force participated in the exercise with eight F-16 aircraft of the 115th Fighter Wing, while the Israeli Air Force participated with two F-16 aircraft, two F-15I aircraft and two B-707 aerial refueling aircraft.

“Frizis Damas 2022” is part of the 2022 defence cooperation program between the two countries.

The Israeli Defense Forces confirmed the exercise, which was seen as a significant act of cooperation between the two countries. Despite the escalating tension between Turkey and Greece, Tuesday’s operation between Israel and Greece was part of their 2022 training program.

This month, Greek-American lawmakers in the US Congress mobilised to ensure that the Biden administration does not proceed with the sale and the upgrade of Turkey’s existing fleet of F-16 fighter jets.

A bipartisan group of US legislators filed amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act last week that would prevent the sale if Turkey continues its territorial overflights and air space violations in the Aegean.

The amendment was submitted to Congress at the initiative of Greek-American member of parliament Chris Pappas and was co-signed by Dina Titus, Carolyn B. Maloney, Charlie Crist, and John Sarbanes.

In response to Turkey’s increased military overflights, Germany, in June, condemned the violation of Greece’s air space following a meeting between chancellor Olaf Scholz and Mitsotakis.

A German government official was quoted as saying “the violation of Greek air space and overflights above Greek islands is not correct.”

Around the same time, Erdogan said Turkey would halt talks with Greece, partly over a dispute with Mitsotakis and, according to Ankara, Greece’s airspace violations of Turkey’s territory.

Elsewhere, Tel Aviv-based independent power producer Kenlov Renewable Energy said on Monday that it is expanding its geographical footprint into Greece, with 378 MW of planned wind and solar power projects there.

The company has already sought local power production licences, Kenlov said in a statement.

The renewables firm plans to develop nine projects overall, three of which — for a total of 223 MW, will be the work of its local in-house team led by newly appointed Greece country manager Giannis Lazarou.

An established renewable energy developer in Greece, with 45 solar and wind projects under its belt developed with various global partners, is behind the remaining 155 MW and will advance the projects under a development service agreement signed with Kenlov.

The name of that developer was not disclosed.

“Our ambition is to build out an operational portfolio in Greece of hundreds of megawatts in the coming years,” Lazarou said, according to See News.

In June, Kenlov’s global pipeline exceeded 3 GW with the addition of a fourth US project, 300-MW Rolling Sun solar PV facility in Bushland, Texas, developed by KARE, a joint venture between Kenlov and Ashtrom Renewable Energy.

Kenlov has appointed country managers elswhere in Europe with the aim of boosting local partnerships targeting a development pipeline across its key markets which include Italy, Spain and Serbia.