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Israel Air Force begin 11-day joint exercise with European, Arab states
The Israeli air force is among four other nations participating in a joint exercise that began yesterday in Greece.
The Iniohos 2017 exercise, which is being hosted at Greece’s Andravida Air Base, will be a “complex exercise” according to the Greek Air Force and will include fighter planes from the US, Israel, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Italy and Greece.
Speaking about the exercise, US Air Force spokesman Capt. Robert Howard said: “Multinational training engagements such as these strengthen our relationships, maintain joint readiness and interoperability, and reassure our regional Allies and partners.”
According to Defense News, “the year’s drill is designed to simulate a range of realistic engagements, and participants will likely conduct hundreds of sorties in Israeli airspace to practice air-to-air combat, ground strikes against both moving and stationary targets, and manoeuvring amid threats posed by shoulder-launched missiles and surface-to-air batteries which can block aerial access to aircrews”.
The annual exercise, which ends on April 6, will not be the first time Israeli and UAE pilots fly in the same military exercise.
The Israeli Air Force participated in the US-hosted Red Flag exercises in August 2016, along with crews from Jordan (whose planes reportedly flew alongside IDF aircraft en route to the exercises in Alaska), as well as the UAE and Pakistan.
While Israel has no formal diplomatic ties with Pakistan and the UAE, the international exercises present a strategic opportunity for Israel improve diplomatic relations.
Last November, Israel established a diplomatic mission to the International Renewable Energy Association, which is based in Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s capital. In addition, the Israel Defence Forces are expanding joint training with other foreign armies. Last week, Israeli F-16s participated in a joint training exercise in Cyprus.
In November, Israel will host a large air force training exercise, involving around 100 aircraft and pilots from the US, Greece, Poland, France, Germany, India and Italy.