By: TPS
For the first time in history, Israeli Air Force (IAF) fighter jets will train with the German Air Force, the only exercise the IAF is conducting outside Israel this year due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
In the coming weeks, IAF “Barak” F-16C fighters will train in Germany in the first-ever training exercise of its kind.
As part of the exercise, Israeli and German aircraft will fly by the Dachau concentration camp and above Fürstenfeldbruck airbase, which was used by the Luftwaffe before and during World War II and was the site of the Munich Massacre during the 1972 Summer Olympics in which seven Israeli hostages were killed during a botched rescue attempt by Bavarian border guards and Munich police.
Starting on Monday, the first joint exercise between the IAF and German Air Force will take place on German soil.
“The exercise is being held to continue enhancing the IAF’s capabilities, maintain its readiness to face various scenarios, and to continue strengthening its bonds and cooperation with allied air forces,” the IAF stated
Lt. Col. A, Commander of the 105th “Scorpion” Squadron and head of the IAF’s deployment team said that the joint drill is “an opportunity to showcase our abilities and learn about NATO’s flight and training technique.”
As part of the exercise, six F-16C/D fighters, two Re’em Boeing 707 aircraft, and two “Nachshon-Eitam” Gulfstream G-550 aircraft will land at the Nörvenich base in Germany.
The aircrew members will train in a two-week outline and drill various aerial scenarios alongside NATO countries as part of the “MAG (Multinational Air Group) Days” exercise – an international event that takes place four times a year.
During the exercise, the IAF will drill dogfights, ground-to-air combat, handling surface-to-air missile threats, and other combat scenarios in enemy territory.
“The exercise is an opportunity to fly tactically and face a wide variety of threats using advanced technology, and to execute quality aerial training in an unfamiliar arena,” the IAF said.
“This training is very effective and unique, as we train in an unfamiliar environment and territory,” explained Lt. Col. A. “We will fly in a different environment than we are used to in Israel, with different flight platforms and flight rules.”
(TPS)