NATO Tiger Meet 2026 has officially opened at Araxos Air Base in western Greece, bringing together air forces from NATO member and partner nations for a large-scale multinational training exercise running from late April through May 20, 2026.
The Hellenic Air Force says the exercise aims to strengthen operational readiness, interoperability, and cooperation among participating units under demanding modern air warfare conditions. Crews train under the principle of “train as you fight,” operating in realistic and complex mission environments.
More than 50 aircraft and 1,000 personnel involved
More than 50 fighter jets and helicopters, along with around 1,000 personnel, are expected to take part in coordinated daily missions.
Participating forces will carry out a wide range of operational scenarios, including defensive and offensive air operations, interception missions, targeting operations, suppression of enemy air defenses, and support for land and naval forces.
Airborne surveillance assets will also support the activity, while crews will operate across a broad area, highlighting the level of multinational coordination required among participating forces.
Three-phase schedule
NATO Tiger Meet 2026 follows three main phases.
The first phase covers the deployment of forces from April 27 to May 1, 2026.
The second phase focuses on operational execution from May 4 to May 14, 2026.
The third and final phase covers the redeployment of forces from May 15 to May 20, 2026.
The main operational activity takes place during the execution phase in early to mid-May.
NATO Tiger Meet gathers allied and partner forces in Greece
The exercise spans the wider Athens Flight Information Region and includes air forces from Greece, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic.
Austria, France, the United Kingdom, India, and the Netherlands are also taking part as observers. Naval forces and special operations units are also involved, expanding the scope of the training beyond air operations alone.
The Hellenic Air Force’s 335 Squadron hosts NATO Tiger Meet 2026, continuing a long-running allied tradition that brings together units with shared operational standards, training objectives, and cooperation goals.
