There’s a tiny island in the Ionian Sea, just south of Paxos and off the coast of Corfu, that boasts some of Greece’s bluest waters – here’s how to get there and make the most of your visit
14:17, 03 May 2026Updated 14:17, 03 May 2026
The Greek island is stunning and not many know about it (stock image)(Image: REDA, REDA/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
If you’re dreaming of crystal-clear, azure waters but aren’t keen on venturing beyond Europe, then this “little-known” Greek island could be just the ticket for your travels this year or next. You may not be able to base yourself on this island for your entire holiday, but a visit to soak up its breathtaking scenery is well worth it.
The Greece List revealed that this island boasts some of the “bluest water in Greece,” making it an absolute paradise for swimming enthusiasts and snorkelling fans alike. However, they caution that “getting there and doing it right makes all the difference,” which is why they’ve put together a handy guide to help visitors make the most of their time on the island.
The island in question is Antipaxos, a “tiny island just south of Paxos,” situated “off the coast of Corfu in the Ionian sea”. So, if you can’t actually stay there, how do you go about getting there and back? Fortunately, they’ve got that covered too.
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They suggest joining a boat tour departing from either Paxos or Corfu, which is the most popular way to reach this stunning island.
When booking a boat tour, however, if you’re hoping to take a dip, ensure the excursion includes a dedicated swimming and exploration stop.
Alternatively, you could take the ferry to Paxos first, before hiring a small taxi boat in Gaios town.
Alternatively, for those with the budget, the “best option” is to hire a private boat or self-drive boat from Paxos, as it offers “full flexibility” and allows you to spend the day entirely on your own terms.
Once there, the must-see spots are the main beaches — Voutoumi Beach, and Vrika and Mesovrika Beach. Voutoumi is the “famous one” boasting “almost neon turquoise water”, while the other is “sandy, shallow, and easier for relaxing and swimming,” so it largely comes down to your preferences and how you wish to spend your time.
Visitors note that the “water is insanely clear,” though they caution that it becomes extremely crowded around midday when tour boats arrive in force, so it’s worth reserving sunbeds if you’re after a settled base for the day.
The ideal time to visit is either early morning or late afternoon, once the large tour boats have moved on.
There are a few other things worth bearing in mind — there are “beach clubs and taverns, but in the summer they fill up,” and while technically you can stay overnight on the island, accommodation options are limited and the island “lacks infrastructure”. So if a beach club is high on your agenda, arrive early or book well ahead.
Bear in mind that tour boats only stop for a short while, so if you’re eager to properly explore at your own pace, hiring your own boat is the way to go, and it means you can discover the “hidden coves” too.
In the comments section, others praised it as “amazing,” saying they “loved” it and declaring that “Greek islands are the best”.
One person enquired: “Which is the most WOW? Paxos or Antipaxos for beaches and for children? Which is less touristy?” The response came back: “Paxos is the one to stay at and then take trips to Antipaxos”.
“After decades of flights supporting the Air Force in various roles, the NT-43A Radar Test Bed is being transitioned to start the next phase of its career,” an Air Force spokesperson has told TWZ. “Beginning with data collection during the upcoming launch of Artemis II, the NT-43A Radar Test Bed will continue its legacy of excellence in supporting some of our nation’s most important and technologically advanced capabilities.”
The video below shows RAT55 making a very rare public appearance at Rick Husband International Airport in Amarillo, Texas, last year.
When asked, the Air Force spokesperson said they could not provide any additional information about how this unique aircraft might be utilized in the future. TWZ has also reached out to NASA to ask whether it has any further plans for this jet.
To be clear, getting a statement about RAT55 like the one above is already highly unusual. The aircraft is often referred to as the most secretive Boeing 737 in the world. It is understood to be based at the Tonopah Test Range Airport (TTR) in Nevada, a remote and highly secure facility long used to conceal shadowy aircraft programs. When the NT-43A has been seen, it has usually been from afar, as it has flown around the U.S. military’s flight testing hubs at Area 51, also in Nevada, and Edwards Air Force Base in neighboring California. The jet has only very rarely appeared anywhere else.
A RAT55 patch. Ebay.com
Still, it has become instantly recognizable from its heavily modified nose and huge radome protruding from the rear of the fuselage behind the tail. RAT55 is festooned with other bits and bumps to support its primary mission of signature measurement in support of stealthy aircraft programs. The two huge radar arrays at the front and back of the aircraft allow it to precisely measure the radar signatures of stealthy aircraft flying nearby. This information is used to validate low-observable (stealthy) coatings and other design elements. Electro-optical and infrared sensors are also fitted above the two main radomes. Being able to collect signature data mid-air offers advantages over doing so on the ground, since the subject can be continually observed from all angles, including overhead. You can read more about what is known of the NT-43A’s capabilities and role here.
A picture of RAT55 taken at Edwards Air Force Base in 2014. Phodocu
TWZhas been talking for years about the prospect that RAT55, which is now more than five decades old, could just be getting closer to being retired entirely. The jet is a heavily modified conversion of a T-43A trainer aircraft, which is itself a militarized version of the Boeing 737-200 airliner. The Air Force retired the last of its standard T-43As in 2010. Usage of first-generation 737s in any configuration is dwindling globally, and the remaining examples will only become ever-more challenging to support.
The last T-43A seen at the time of the type’s retirement in 2010. USAF
With all this in mind, TWZ has also been watching closely for a replacement for RAT55 to appear. However, to date, no explicit successor to the NT-43A has definitely emerged.
In the meantime, NT-43A could now end up being a key aircraft for support space launches and recoveries. It could also perform other testing and development duties unrelated to space launches and low-observable capabilities. If it becomes available to more customers, its unique services could be in high demand, especially with a new stealth boom on the horizon with new fleets of Collaborative Combat Aircraft drones.
If RAT55 does now come more into the light after decades of largely being a ‘ghost’ within the U.S. military flight test community, we may start to learn more about the aircraft, in general, as well as what the future holds for it and any potential successors.
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Footage has emerged that purportedly shows a Saab 340 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft operating over Ukraine. If legitimate, this would be the first time that the radar plane has been seen in Ukrainian service, as far as we know, and would mark an important new capability for Ukraine, and one that we have discussed in depth in the past.
Russians are posting footage they claim shows likely a Swedish Saab 340 AEW&C long-range radar and control aircraft flying over Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/XkFZlok2B3
The video in question appears to have been first posted to a Russian Telegram account and clearly shows one of the aircraft, with its distinctive ‘balance beam’ radar fairing on the upper fuselage, in level flight during the daytime. The date and location of the video cannot be confirmed. It should also be noted that we cannot verify the footage itself, but there is nothing to immediately suggest it may have been doctored.
As mentioned, this appears to be the first time we have ever seen one of the Ukrainian Air Force’s two Saab 340 AEW&C planes, although there are suggestions that the type has been flying in Ukrainian skies for some time.
In April of last year, open-source flight-tracking platforms suggested that a possible Ukrainian radar plane was operating in the Lviv region, in western Ukraine, flying circuits and using the callsign WELCOME. Before that, an unidentified aircraft with the same callsign was observed operating in airspace near Poland and Hungary. If true, that suggests that the track over Lviv may have been a post-delivery acceptance or calibration flight. It’s also worth noting that transponders can be manipulated to provide false aircraft tracks, too.
Stockholm’s transfer of two Saab 340 AEW&C aircraft to Ukraine was announced in May 2024, as we reported at the time. The donation was part of the biggest Swedish military aid package for Ukraine up to that point, worth around $1.25 billion.
At the time, it was said that it would take around a year to train the aircrew and maintenance personnel, as well as prepare the ground facilities for the new aircraft.
The Saab 340 AEW&C aircraft is known in Swedish military service as the ASC 890 and alternatively as the S 100D Argus. The Swedish Air Force operated two of these aircraft, with both understood to have been provided to Kyiv. Another two ex-Swedish Saab 340 AEW&C aircraft are operated by Thailand, and another pair were sold to Poland, having previously been operated by the United Arab Emirates.
Royal Thai Air Force Gripen and Saab 340 Erieye AEW
For Ukraine, the significance of the Saab 340 AEW&C is hard to overstate.
It brings an entirely new capability for the Ukrainian Air Force, which has never operated any type of AEW&C platform.
The core of the aircraft is its Saab Erieye active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. Carried atop the fuselage, this can detect air and sea targets at ranges of up to around 280 miles, with the aircraft typically operating at an altitude of 20,000 feet. Reportedly, the AESA system can track up to 1,000 airborne and 500 surface targets simultaneously.
Erieye explained
All this data is handled by three mission crew: a mission control officer, a combat control operator, and a surveillance operator. It can also be downlinked to ground stations and to other aircraft, at least in theory, of which more later.
Unlike a surface-based air defense radar, the Erieye provides a ‘lookdown’ capability. Without the line-of-sight limitations of terrain, the radar will be especially useful for detecting low-flying Russian drones and cruise missiles. These are otherwise notably tricky targets, due to the low altitudes at which they fly and their small radar signatures. With that in mind, the aircraft should provide Ukraine’s air defenses with a huge situational-awareness boost.
A photograph taken on December 27, 2025, shows an Iranian-designed Shahed-136 (or Russian-made Geran-2) drone flying over Kyiv during a Russian drone and missile attack. Photo by Sergei SUPINSKY / AFP via Getty Images SERGEI SUPINSKY
Within its layered air defense network, Ukraine relies heavily on crewed fighter jets (as well as other aircraft platforms) to intercept drones and cruise missiles. Adding the Saab 340 AEW&C to the equation, the radar plane should be able to work as a fighter controller, detecting targets, prioritizing them, and then assigning them to the fighters for interception. Equally, this data could be provided to other air defense assets.
Especially useful in this regard would be the NATO-standard Link 16 datalink communications system. This would, in theory, be compatible with Ukraine’s F-16 and Mirage 2000 fighters, as well as Western-supplied ground-based air defense systems.
Український пілот про ефективність Mirage2000/Ukrainian Pilot on the Effectiveness of the Mirage2000
However, in late 2024, it was reported that the F-16s donated to Ukraine have had Link 16 systems removed or disabled, due to U.S. worries that they could end up in Russian hands.
This would deprive those fighters of a real-time air defense ‘picture’ sourced from the Erieye radar, and, at this point, it’s unclear if the Link 16 connectivity is available to Ukraine.
As of March 2025, it was reported that the delivery of the radar planes was on track, and they would be able to operate effectively with Ukraine’s F-16s.
A Ukrainian Air Force F-16 takes off for an air defense sortie. Ukrainian Air Force
“The timing of ASC 890 deliveries is linked to when certain modifications to F-16 fighters will be ready. There is no delay in the transfer of airborne early warning aircraft to Ukraine,” the Lithuanian Delfi news agency reported. This sounds very much like a reference to enabling the Link 16 connectivity.
However, even without Link 16, the Saab 340 AEW&C is able to provide much-enhanced air and sea surveillance for Ukraine.
Later versions of the Erieye radar also have a synthetic aperture radar and ground moving target indication (SAR/GMTI) capability, although it’s not clear if Ukraine has received that either. While SAR provides detailed image-like mapping of the ground at standoff ranges, GMTI detects and tracks movements on the ground over time, which would allow monitoring of Russian troop movements.
Should Ukraine’s ambitious plans to buy Saab Gripen fighters in the future materialize, the combination of these jets and the Saab 340 AEW&C could make a tailor-made solution for air defense and other missions.
For all its capabilities, the Saab 340 AEW&C will also be a prime target for Russia.
Russia’s own A-50 Mainstay AEW&C aircraft have been repeatedly targeted by Ukraine, in recognition of their value as force multipliers.
A Russian Aerospace Forces A-50U Mainstay. Russian MoD Russian Air Force A-50U Mainstay. (Russian MoD)
Russia was estimated to have nine A-50s in active service at the start of the full-scale invasion. Since then, there have been two combat losses, and another of these aircraft was damaged in a drone attack while on the ground at a base in Belarus, and its current status is unknown. More recently, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces claimed an A-50 had been hit in a strike on a maintenance facility in the Novgorod region of Russia.
This reality almost certainly means Ukraine operates the Saab radar planes from the far west of the country, likely moving them between airfields to reduce their exposure to airstrikes. Similar tactics are also employed by Ukrainian F-16s. With a maximum of two aircraft, round-the-clock coverage is also impossible, so one aircraft may well be kept on permanent ground alert to respond to particularly intensive Russian drone and missile barrages.
It is likely for this reason, too, that we have not seen anything of the Ukrainian Saab 340 AEW&C aircraft since their delivery.
With time, we will hopefully learn more about what these secretive assets are bringing to Ukraine’s air defenses and what kind of effect they are having on countering the near-constant Russian drone and missile attacks.
