Greek Mirage 2000 fighter carrying anti-ship missiles locks the target into the Turkish guard ship to show off power and deterrence the enemy.

Photos posted on December 8 on the Twitter account of Yannis Nikitas, a Greek defense correspondent, show the front-facing display (HUD) of the Mirage 2000 versatile fighter pilot on a mission. in the Aegean Sea at the end of last year.

The photo shows the Mirage 2000 flying quite close to the surface of the sea and is targeting a warship traveling a few kilometers away. The HUD symbol indicates that the Greek fighter carries at least one Exocet AM39 anti-ship missile, the bullet is placed in practice mode (PRAC) so the probe locks the target but cannot fire. The battleship in the photo was identified as the Turkish Navy's Barbaros-class guard ship.

The photo was taken from the Mirage 2000 EGM fighter cockpit of the 332th Squadron. This fighter is capable of detecting targets from 110 km away and carrying AM-39 Block 2 missiles with a range of 70 km. , allowing it to attack the Turkish battleship without a return, as the Barbaros-class corvettes only mount RIM-162 ESSM anti-aircraft missiles with a range of 50 km.

"Greek fighters seem to be showing off their strength and deterring their opponents. This mission may include low-speed, high-speed maneuvers, cutting across the face or on the front of a Turkish guard ship," military expert Stefano D'Urso commented.

The move comes amid tensions between the two countries have been rising in recent years, especially after Turkey launched a drilling project near the island of Cyprus that prompted Greece, Egypt and many European countries. for. Greek warships once approached and cut off the Turkish guard ship during Ankara's biggest exercise in May.

The Greek Ministry of Defense and the Turkish navy have not commented on the images.