Israeli, Italian air forces complete drill

Israeli and Italian air forces have held a two-week joint training exercise at a military base on the island of Sardinia in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Israeli army said in a statement that the maneuver was completed on Friday.

F15 and F16 fighter jets took part in the training drill at the NATO military base on the Italian island, it said.

“The exercise was conducted in order to preserve the Israeli Air Force operational capabilities, train the aircraft in large airspaces and unfamiliar spheres, along with foreign aircraft,” the statement said.

The drill was the third series of exercises Israeli forces have held jointly with the air forces of NATO member countries so far.

“The training drill helped in improving the operational side as well as learning and gaining a deeper knowledge of the weaponry systems,” Ynetnews quoted a senior Israeli officer as saying.

Israel increased its overseas exercises after Turkey refused to allow Tel Aviv to deploy its fighter jets in Turkish airspace in the wake of the December 2008-January 2009 war against the Gaza Strip.

The so-called ‘Operation Cast Lead’ left more than 1,400 Palestinians, mostly women and children, dead and thousands of others injured and reduced scores of homes and other buildings to rubble.

The Israeli military has been looking to areas such as Europe and Asia for its new training grounds.

In October, Israeli combat helicopters completed a four-day joint exercise in Greece.