Israel, France Wrap up ‘Eastern Breeze’ Joint Air Force Exercise

December 7, 2022

by: JNS

Wednesday, 7 December 2022 | The Israeli and French Air Forces concluded the “Eastern Breeze” joint exercise in Israel on Tuesday, the Israel Defense Forces [IDF] said in a statement.

During the drill, four French Rafale aircraft flew with four Israeli F-16i aircraft from the IAF’s [Israel Air Force’s] 201st Squadron.

French carrier Charles de Gaulle arrived in the Mediterranean Sea to take part in the drill.

Israeli and French air pilots flew side by side during the exercise, while rehearsing coordinated strikes and countering aerial threats, the statement said.

“Eastern Breeze” was described by the IAF as a “significant milestone” in the development of the Israeli–French strategic cooperation, and according to the IDF strengthened the forces’ preparedness.

Col. G. (full name withheld), commanding officer of the Ramon Air Force Base that oversaw the drill, stated, “Together we conducted high-quality and challenging training that combined a number of elements, which resulted in improved proficiency on both sides and closer ties between the nations and militaries.”

The exercise is one of a series of international exercises and collaborations in recent weeks as part of a regular training plan for 2022, according to the IDF.

The Israeli and US air forces participated in a two-day exercise in November simulating strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

Posted on December 7, 2022

Source: (This article was originally published by the Jewish News Syndicate on December 7, 2022. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today. See original article at this link.)

Photo Credit: IDF/jns.org