IAF Completes Joint Exercise with USAF
On Monday, October 12, 2020, the "Enduring Lightning 3" exercise concluded. The joint exercise between the IAF and US Air Force took place for the third time this year, as part of the two forces' training regimen.
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In the exercise, the 116th Squadron of the IAF, which became operational last August and operates the "Adir" (F-35i) fighter jets, trained alongside the 421st Squadron of the USAF, operating F-35A fighter jets, the USAF's 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron and 340th EARS, which operate the KC-10 Extender and KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft.
IAF 122nd Squadron also participated in the exercise. The squadron operates the "Nachshon" (Gulfstream G550) aircraft and was responsible for conducting air traffic control for both Israeli and US fighter jets during the exercise.
The 115th Squadron, the IAF's "Red Squadron" that specializes in enemy simulation, took part in the exercise as well. Its task was to train and challenge the participating pilots with various scenarios that reflect the operational battlefield.
As part of the exercise, which took place over southern Israel, the advanced aircraft trained to deal with various strategic aerial and ground threats present in the Middle East. The exercise was conducted in a special format (due to Covid-19), in which the participating crews planned, briefed, and debriefed together virtually.
While mitigating the adverse affects of the Covid-19 pandemic and caring for the safety and health of all personnel, the IAF continues to maintain full operational readiness and conducts exercises, including international cooperation, in order to continue and ensure the fulfillment of its main mission – protecting Israeli skies during routine and emergency scenarios.
As stated by the Head of Training and Doctrine division, Brig. Gen. Amir Lazar: "The Israeli-American cooperation, and the maintenance of international 5th generation exercises on Israeli territory, place the IAF as a reliable source of knowledge in the field of F-35 aircraft, and the State of Israel as a quality operational training arena.
Throughout the exercise, the air forces operated closely, which allowed for a shared learning experience and the sharing of the lessons learned. The joint exercise lays a strong foundation for future real time cooperation between the countries and enhances knowledge sharing in the field of the “Adir” (F-35) aircraft operational abilities".
