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A first: Israeli Air Force holds drill with US Air Force Central Command

 Israeli and U.S. forces flew F-15 and F-16 aircraft to simulate combatting threats and increase operational readiness.

By TPS and World Israel News Staff

“Friends who fly together stay together,” the IDF tweeted regarding “Desert Eagle,” the first-of-a-kind joint exercise with the participation of the Israeli Air Force and the U.S. Air Force Central Command (AFCENT), which concluded on Tuesday.

U.S. Air Forces Central delivers dominant coalition airpower to secure and stabilize the CENTCOM area of responsibility.

The U.S. military moved Israel from the U.S. European Command’s (Eucom) area of responsibility to that of the U.S. Central Command (Centcom) in January. Centcom focuses on the Middle East.

Israeli and U.S. forces flew F-15 and F-16 aircraft to simulate combatting threats and increase operational readiness.

AFCENT forces landed and took off from the Uvda Air Force base in the south.

The exercise was led by IAF Squadron 133, with F15 aircraft, along with the U.S. Air Force 494th Squadron. The enemy force in the exercise was simulated by Squadron 115 with the F16 aircraft.

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The teams practiced jointly aerial, ground and combined threats while attacking targets.

“The exercise is part of tightening the strategic and long-term cooperation between Israel and the United States,” the IDF stated.