The Israel Defense Forces and the US Air Force began a joint “Red Flag” exercise on Sunday.
The joint drill is taking place at the US Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, according to an IDF statement.
It is going to last for about two weeks and is expected to include simulations of different types of operations: from attacking long-range targets to achieving air superiority in the battlefield, to multiple joint operations through a combination of aircraft, defense and supply. support for ground-based units, interception of enemy aircraft, low-altitude flying and strikes in unknown areas filled with anti-aircraft defense, according to the IDF.
In addition, other tasks involved in the aircraft will be carried out such as joint flight refueling, as well as with Israeli jets refueling US fighters, and repelling Israeli F-35 attacks by US KC135 refueling planes.
In addition, the IDF said that for the first time seven Israeli F-35s and two Rams (Boeing 707) participated in the exercise by flying over US airspace.
The red flag comes just days after US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited Israel and just two months after the US-Israeli Exercise Oak Juniper, the largest joint drill ever involving the IDF, and the US Central Command (Centcom).
The joint “Juniper” exercises were seen by many as a less veiled threat to Iran’s ongoing nuclear war as well as other adversaries.
At the time, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the exercise “shows the strategic partnership between Israel and the US and another stage in building Israel’s military power.”
“Israel will always defend itself, but it clearly recommends strong cooperation with our great ally,” the prime minister added.
That exercise involved thousands of armed forces, a dozen ships, a significant number of attack and intelligence gathering drones, and 142 aircraft, including nuclear bombers, lasting a whole week.
In addition to B-52 bombers, US aircraft include F-35s, F-15s, F-16s, and F-18s.
