Joint Exercises Israeli Air Force and Italian and Polish Air Forces

Polish Air Force, IAF hold joint training in Negev
Exercise is the first joint maneuver between the two countries; commander of Polish Air Force arrives to oversee the drill. Polish fighter jets arrived in Israel this week for joint training with the Israel Air Force in the Negev.The Polish dispatched a number of F-16 fighter jets which have been holding maneuvers alongside IAF F-16 and F-15s. The maneuvers are based in the Uvda Air Force Base near Eilat. "We learn from one another and it helps us learn from the Poles, how they fly and their doctrines," a senior IAF officer said Wednesday. Gen. Broni Lech Majewski, commander of the Polish Air Force, arrived in Israel on Monday to oversee the drill. This is the first time that the Israel and Polish air forces are holding joint maneuvers. Israeli F-15s flew in Poland in 2003 when a trio of aircraft flew over Auschwitz.

IAF completes major drill in Italy amid Iran attack rumors
The Israeli Air Force completed a large drill over the Italian island of Sardinia in recent days. Details of the exercise were released on Wednesday, in the shadow of intensive and controversial media reports over a possible Israeli attack against Iran’s nuclear facilities.Lt.-Col. Y., commander of the 117th Squadron of F-16 fighter jets that took part in the simulation, said his pilots flew over the sea, west of Italy, and carried out maneuvers together with the Italian Air Force. “We simulated a common enemy. The cooperation between us and the Italians was very good,” the pilot said. The 14 Israeli jets that took part in the drill flew in an area “encompassing 800 kilometers.” The drill was planned six months in advance, and ended last week. Pilots flew in a variety of formations and practiced striking simulated targets.