The exercise, defined as the largest of its kind ever, examined new and advanced outlines of cooperation with a fictitious enemy state called “Dragoland” (there were those who described it as similar to Syria, for its dense air defense systems, but was not officially characterized as any regional factor). According to the official briefing, these outlines included the protection of the country’s skies and the prevention of the intrusion of enemy aircraft, depth attacks in front of surface-to-air missile batteries – which included both “Patriot” and air defense systems of Russian origin – assistance to ground forces and accompaniment of logistical operations. For penetrating operations.
All of this, in a networked combination of fifth-generation (35-F) fighter jets, which are prepared to operationally support fellow arrays in combat descriptions, and previous-generation aircraft, including F-15 and 16-F and European Air Force aircraft – Raphael, Mirage 2000 Eurofighter – alongside a combination, as mentioned, of air defense systems. Challenge the Air Force planes and guests The 115th Red Squadron – the Air Force’s dedicated enemy image unit.
The exercise itself was accompanied by three components that further emphasize its unique character and the change that is taking place in Israel’s status in the regional and international system:
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A. At the beginning of the exercise, salutes were flown from aircraft participating in the skies of Jerusalem, including a side-by-side flight by Air Force Commander Maj. After the flight, the two commanders were reciprocally awarded medals by the two states. The Mets and the tribute received wide media attention, unlike the Blue Flag exercises of the previous decade.B. During the exercise, senior representatives of air forces from several countries visited Japan, including Japan and Australia (which, along with the US and India, who participated in the exercise, form the Quad Group redefining the balance of power in Asia), as well as South Korea, the Netherlands and Finland. Given the presence at an exercise by the United Arab Emirates Air Force Commander, Ibrahim Nasser Muhammad al-Alawi, whose visit was a clear expression of the depth of cooperation in the era of the Abrahamic Accords.
third. Following this, a conference of Air Force commanders operating the F-35 aircraft was held at the Nabataean base – another expression of the unique status of the Air Force and the IDF as a body of experience and knowledge that contributes to the capabilities of NATO members and other Western countries. Dealing with new challenges and the implementation of advanced technologies.
The wider context: Israel’s security partners
The characteristics of the exercise and the nature of the coverage that can be given to some of its components illustrate the establishment of the collaboration as a matter of routine. In recent years, there has been a profound change regarding Israel’s open presence, as part of the security forces’ “Mind Minded (LM)” countries, including the United States and NATO, the Quad, and key countries in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Arab world. .
Among other things, since Israel was transferred to the responsibility of the US Central Command, CENTCOM, there has been a pattern of Israel’s participation in operational activities: Red Sea Arena vessels in the Navy take part in joint patrols with the Fifth Fleet, and Air Force aircraft provide escort and security for aircraft flights. American bombers on their way to deploy in the Bay Area. With the appointment of a permanent Israeli liaison officer at CENTCOM’s headquarters in Florida, this pattern is expected to be established: unlike the operational collaborations with EUCOM and NATO, Israel’s role is not subject to the general agreement of all Allies (hence no Turkish veto).
In the Mediterranean arena, Air Force planes take part every year – along with a variety of other forces, including the United States, Italy, France, Spain, Cyprus and the Emirates – in the combined exercise of the Greek Air Force, “Inihos”. The IDF Special Forces Frequently trained in the Troodos ridge in Cyprus, in operational outlines that explicitly simulate activity deep in Lebanese territory. The Gulf states have their own patterns of military cooperation with Cyprus and Greece, and in April 2021 the Paphos Forum (a meeting of foreign ministers of Cyprus, Greece, the United Arab Emirates and Israel) added a diplomatic-diplomatic tier to the fabric of security cooperation.
In the Asian arena, along with the commitment not to infuriate China, ties with both India and its partners in the US-sponsored quad framework are growing. In the last decade, Israel has achieved breakthroughs in relations with Japan and Australia; A ramified system of cooperation with Singapore, the attempts to keep it secret are becoming absurd.
In Europe, contact with the German Air Force is not limited to Blue Flag exercises; The working relations are broad and continuous (in the exercise itself, German officers, who know their Israeli counterparts from previous activities, assisted in the management of the control room). Israeli units participate in NATO exercises, and an invitation to participate in the IDF in a multinational exercise in the Black Sea was even considered – but eventually rejected – which aroused the resentment of the Russians. Some criticized this year’s parachute demonstration in Slovenia, as a salute to Hannah Szenes and other paratroopers from Israel who worked on a British mission behind the Nazi lines, but such gestures also play a role in military diplomacy and building relations with Western allies.
To all this must be added the significant intelligence collaborations, in which Israel too is positioning itself as a significant contributing factor. In an age of terrorist challenges and the prevention of nuclear proliferation, which no country can deal with alone, it is difficult to overstate the importance of these ties, and their counterparts in the areas of cyber defense.
The importance of “military diplomacy” for Israel
Along with the direct and valuable benefit produced by the Air Force and all IDF arrays in the joint training – which is not the place to evaluate it in detail – it should indeed be seen (especially in a large-scale event like Blue Flag), as some senior IDF officials noted. A real contribution to both Israel’s international status and its security perception.
The outline of the exercise was not intended to simulate an action against Iran, although it took place in close proximity to explicit statements by top IDF officials about initiating preparations for a possible military confrontation with the nuclear program, and Israel certainly does not expect its participants to actively assist in such a scenario. It is not specific but general, and touches on the demonstrable recognition by other air forces of the Air Force’s strength and qualities, but it is important as a signal to the Iranian leadership, and as a reminder not to follow the words of its own and the Revolutionary Guards officers. Israel’s.
Equally important is the message to Israel’s newer (and older) friends in the regional system, who find themselves integrating with it – whether in this exercise or in cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean – in a significant array of forces that should not be underestimated, including US forces Europe main.
Meanwhile, the exercise itself, with all its accompanying moves and the demonstrated media coverage, was also a signal to those – from the Palestinians to the Recep Tayyip Erdogan – who want to bring about Israel’s political and security isolation as a strategic means. Military cooperation, as well as other phenomena that cannot be ignored such as the intensifying flow of economic investments in Israel, reflected in the currency balances and the power of the shekel, ultimately carry more weight than the fixed patterns of OP votes and decisions lacking practical content in its institutions.
In addition, the tightening of ties in the security field has a direct impact in the form of exposure to Israel’s technological capabilities, which opens the door to military procurement, including of first-rate countries and armies. Gone are the days when Israel had to look for markets in remote arenas and in the face of problematic regimes. Beyond the economic benefit, income and employment, this has a contribution to Israel’s security, since a solid business base enables industries to make their technological endowments available to the IDF and other members of the defense establishment.