On June 29, the international exercises “Tri-lightning 2” ended, in which F-35 aircraft of the Israeli Air Force, the US Marine Corps and the British Royal Air Force took part. The exercise is designed to enhance strategic cooperation among the global F-35 community.
The greatest expression of the atmosphere was shown on a joint flight of Israeli, American and British F-35s over the skies of the State of Israel.
This week, the three powers gathered in the air for joint training with the most advanced aircraft in the world, as part of the international exercise “Tri-lightning 2”. “Cooperation with foreign armies allows the Israeli Air Force to enhance its capabilities and operational capabilities to deal with a wide range of threats,” said Israeli Air Force Commander Major General Amikam Norkin. “The arena in the Middle East is dynamic and changing and requires us to practice and practice a wide range of scenarios to continue to defend the name of the State of Israel.”
The cooperation between the F-35s of the three countries took place for the first time in June 2019 in the international “Tri-Lightning” exercise, in which stealth fighters flew alongside foreign F-35s over the skies over the Middle East. The cooperation manifested itself again only a few weeks ago as part of the “Quinta Coroa” exercise organized by the Italian Air Force, and this week’s training took place – teams trained to attack deep enemy areas accompanied by air. Attack and air-to-ground scenarios while dealing with surface-to-air missile systems. The mission was ultimately carried out entirely together, side by side, simulating the enemy by the 115th Squadron (“Flying Dragon”), the “Red” Division of the Israeli Air Force, along with the ground forces of a simulated enemy.
The US and British forces that took part in the exercise took off with an F-35 aircraft from the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier of the British Navy, which is currently in the Middle East. Before arriving in the State of Israel, they stopped in Italy.
“These are the same crews that we traveled to a few weeks ago for the international exercises that took place in Italy,” described an IAF major, Head of External Exercises. “Connection and continuity between exercises is important for cooperation between countries – this is the second exercise we have been doing in a row in a short period of time.”
But the close relations between the two countries did not end with joint air combat – on Monday, the crews of the 140th Squadron (“Golden Eagle”) and several divisions from the headquarters of the Air Force visited the British aircraft carrier. “The delegation set out to learn how to operate the F-35 independently,” said the IAF captain, who led the 140th Squadron’s training, because communication and outside assistance capabilities are limited. We want to learn how to do this in the most independent way. At the same time, during the visit, we held a joint briefing and reconnaissance of the exercise.”
Also earlier this week, a British Voyager oil tanker landed at the base in Napato, where the flight crew stayed during exercises. The captain continues: “The tanker accompanies the aircraft carrier throughout its journey and refuels the aircraft in the air during the missions it performs.” The major in the Israeli Air Force adds: “The exercises also included aircraft that carried out aerial control – an Israeli Air Force plane, an Eagle, and a British Air Force control plane.”
Having frequent training between the countries that operate the F-35 is essential to strengthening international relations. “The more we train together, the better we get to know each other, the more we will trust each other and we will know how to work better together,” the Israeli major explains. “From training to training, the level of complexity increases, which is why he is so good and teaches it. This is the first time that British F-35s have flown in the skies of the State of Israel.”
The flights made during the exercise were complex and included a large number of aircraft – no less than 12 F-35s. One of the main challenges was the planning of the exercise – which is very large, even by Israeli Air Force standards. “When you want to produce complex training, you have to be very precise in the level of difficulty. We had to adjust the level of training for a large number of aircraft performing several tasks simultaneously,” the captain said.
In young and modern aircraft such as the F-35, there is great importance for the exchange of information between the countries that operate the aircraft. “Each country operates the aircraft differently and it is important for us to work closely together and share the lessons we learned from their operation,” the IDF said. The standing of the State of Israel in the global F-35 community takes center stage. The most powerful nations come here to exercise and learn from us. The similarity between the aircraft models allows us to work closely with the exterior, and the possible integration is innovative.”
“Friendly zombie guru. Avid pop culture scholar. Freelance travel geek. Wannabe troublemaker. Coffee specialist.”
