RIYADH: The multinational air exercise “Desert Flag” kicked off at Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with the participation of the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) and forces from several friendly states, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Monday.
The commander of the Saudi air forces in the exercise, Lieutenant Colonel Adel bin Saeed Abu Malhah, stressed that the RSAF prepared for the exercise with utmost professionalism and adhered to the highest safety standards. The exercise will be concluded after three weeks.
He added that RSAF is attending the exercise with six fighter jets from the F-15SA system, along with their air, technical, and support staff.
He further stated that the participation of the air forces in the drills aims to exchange military experiences in the fields of planning and execution in an environment similar to actual war scenarios.
This includes enhancing readiness and combat effectiveness for air and technical support staff, in addition to strengthening international ties with participating nations.
He said the UAE, Oman, Türkiye, the United States, France, and South Korea are also participating in the exercise.
The commander said the exercise would witness diverse and varied flights, including defensive and offensive air operations, combat search-and-rescue operations and close air support operations.
