The Israeli Air Force concluded a vast military exercise last night, designed to simulate an all-out war in multiple theaters of operation. In the course of the exercise, which began on Sunday, the Air Force tested its readiness for war, including against “state actors that maintain technologies much more advanced than what is usually dealt with in the region.”
A source familiar with the details of the exercise, described it as “a highly efficient operational simulation that portrays the Air Force standards of lethality and professionalism, under the guidance of the new IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi.” Among others, the Israeli Air Force also simulated a scenario in which Israel was struck by thousands of incoming missiles, forcing it to adapt to extreme operational conditions in efforts to remain fully functional.
In addition to the wide-array of Israel’s aerial vehicles, for the first time in the country’s history, the highly advanced F-35s also partook in an exercise, which was designed to simulate warfare during day and nighttime. A senior Israeli Air Force officer told TV7 that “the exercise sought to prepare Israel for the next cycle of war.” “while the air-force simulated a war in several theaters simultaneously, the main focus remained Israel’s northern frontier,” where the Islamic Republic of Iran maintains a vast array of military means for the declared purpose of annihilating the Jewish state.
Meanwhile, alongside the Israeli Air Force exercise, the IDF concluded a separate multi-corps drill in multiple arenas, with a focus on the country’s northern frontier. An unspecified number of IDF soldiers and commanders from the Army, Navy and the Air Force participated in the drill, which aimed to prepare the military for an all-out multi-front war.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, along with IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Aviv Kochavi, attended the last day of the exercise, during which the Israeli leader received an elaborate briefing from the IDF commanders and also took the time to speak to soldiers who participated in the drill. Netanyahu said: “I am now concluding a tour of a very large IDF exercise, in several arenas, a multi-corps exercise, which I am very much impressed by the improvement in preparedness, the spirit of the fighters and the commanders, and especially the IDF’s destructive power.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu also used the opportunity to warn Israel’s enemies from even considering targeting the Jewish State, saying: “I hear our neighbors, from the north, from the south and from the east, threatening to annihilate us. I tell our enemies – the IDF has a great devastating force, and do not test us.”