IAF, German Air Force to hold joint drill in Germany for the first time
The overseas drill will be the only international drill to be carried out by the IAF this year outside of Israeli borders in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
By TOBIAS SIEGAL, ANNA AHRONHEIMIAF's preparations for the joint drill with German Air Force in Germany, August 15, 2020. (Credit: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
The Israel Air Force (IAF) on Monday will hold a joint drill with the German Air Force in Germany for the first time, according to a statement by the IDF Spokesperson's Unit.The overseas drill will be the only international drill to be carried out by the IAF this year outside of Israeli borders in light of the coronavirus pandemic, and will take place over a two-week period.The participation in the drill in Germany marks the first time that Israeli troops have been allowed to leave the country since the pandemic broke out earlier this year. All international drills were canceled in March except for a small number of air force drills which took place solely in the air with no ground participation.The decision to carry out the drill at this time stems from the necessity of maintaining the IAF's capabilities through regular training and practicing in unfamiliar conditions and terrain, according to the statement. The drill is also meant to strengthen the close cooperation between the IAF and foreign air forces.As part of the drill, IAF pilots will also take part in the Multinational Air Group (MAGDAYs) which is organized four times a year with the participation of different Air Forces from NATO allied nations in northern Europe.Germany has committed to organizing MAGDAYs since 2019. The last multinational exercise took place between June 22-25 with the participation of Switzerland, the Netherlands, the United States and the United Kingdom.The IDF Spokesperson's Unit statement noted that as part of the drill, the IAF will participate in a flyover over the Dachau Concentration Camp, in memory of the victims of the Holocaust, and over the Bavarian city of Fürstenfeldbruck near Munich, in memory of the 11 Israeli athletes and coaches who were killed by Palestinian terrorists in 1972. However, sources familiar with the exercise denied to The Jerusalem Post that IAF jets would perform the flyover.IDF troops will also take part in an official memorial ceremony in Dachau attended by the German defense minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer on Tuesday.The drill has a great strategic importance, according to the statement, that referred to the German-Israeli joint exercise and the arrival of IAF aircraft to Germany as a historic event."The IAF will continue to hold exercises while cooperating with foreign air forces, in order to preserve its capabilities during war and routine, strengthen ties and encourage mutual learning," the statement concluded.