Saudi air force to participate in Desert Flag drill in UAE

The Royal Saudi Air Force will participate next week in the multinational air exercise Desert Flag at Al-Dhafra Air Base in the UAE, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

RSAF Commander Lt. Gen. Prince Turki bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz saw off the Saudi team participating in the drill at King Faisal Air Base in the northern sector.

Prince Turki was briefed by the commander of the air force team on the readiness of the team and equipment, met members of the team, and urged them to exercise the utmost effort to fully benefit from the exercise, to honor the RSAF, and to maintain the air force’s distinction in all forums, highlighting the importance of commitment to safety standards.

The RSAF commander said that Desert Flag was one of the important exercises in the region, adding that the RSAF would participate in the exercise with the F-15SA aircraft, along with all its air, technical and support crews.

Prince Turki said that participation would enable the exchange of military experience, boost readiness and combat efficiency, and strengthen relations with the participating forces.

Members of the Royal Saudi Air Force also recently participated in the annual medium-scale exercise INIOCHOS 2024 air drill in Greece.

INIOCHOS 2024 is one of the largest military exercises on the European continent. The RSAF participated with six Typhoon aircraft and their air, technical and support crews.

The drill included offensive, defensive and strategic counterair operations, as well as counterland and maritime operations, along with practice in combat search-and-rescue operations.