IAF F-16i fighter jet
Photo: Reuters
IAF completes nationwide drill
Officials say drill including short, long range targets went well but exposed vulnerabilities
The Air Force (IAF) completed a three-day drill Thursday that included various scenarios and staged fronts the force may have to handle. Pilots also practiced a number of combat maneuvers.
The drill was annual, but incorporated scenarios relevant to the current threats faced by Israel. As part of the drill, members of the IAF were briefed on Iran's test-launch of its new missile, the Sajjil-2, which has been said to pose a threat to Israel's security.
Military officials said the drill had gone well, but that certain vulnerabilities remained to be fixed. "This is the reason we perform such drills, to see where we need to improve," one official explained.
The fronts presented in the drill were both near and far, but no Iranian nuclear sites were replicated as targets.
Next week an additional nationwide drill is scheduled to be held by the Homefront Command. It will be headed by Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai, and its aim will be to test local authorities and various ministries.
One of the scenarios posed by the drill will be a nationwide alarm, requiring citizens to enter their fortified spaces.
