7 Air Forces to Partake in Massive Exercise over Israel Next Week

Next week, Israel is going to organize a massive international air drill, which is the first of its kind.

Dozens of warplanes will arrive from seven countries around the world to participate in the "Blue Flag" training for the Air Force.

The training, which will be held at the Ovda base in southern Israel, will begin on Sunday, October 17, and continue until October 28.

The training, in which squadrons of the United States, Germany, Italy, Britain, France, India, and Greece will participate in that training.

The training includes several new tasks, such as the participation of the British Combat Squadron, in addition to an Indian combat squadron that operates Mirage aircraft, and a French combat squadron that will operate Rafael aircraft.

The squadrons will train in several types with battles such as air-to-air and ground-to-air battles.

They also will train to deal with the threat of advanced surface-to-air missiles, as well as combat classes.

The Israeli army announced that the training objectives are to enhance strategic and international cooperation, as well as learn and deepen the integration of fifth and fourth-generation aircraft, with a focus on enhancing and strengthening the operational capabilities of the Air Force.

On the other hand, the Russian Defense Ministry stated that the Syrian forces were unable to engage their air defense systems to repel the attack launched by 4 Israeli fighters on Wednesday due to the presence of two civilian aircraft in the sky over the area.

Deputy Director of the Hmeimim Center for the Reconciliation of the Warring Parties in Syria, affiliated with the Russian Ministry of Defense, Rear Admiral, Vadim Kolet, said in a statement issued yesterday, Thursday, that 4 Israeli F-16 tactical fighters entered the airspace of Syria on October 13 in the Al-Tanf area occupied by the United States' units in Homs Governorate.

The Israeli aircraft launched a strike on a phosphate ore refinery plant in the Palmyra area, and also destroyed a communications tower.

Colette added that the Israeli airstrike resulted in the death of a Syrian soldier and the injury of 3 others, and material damage was caused to the factory.