IAF Completes Historic Joint Exercise

The "MAG Days"  exercise is an international event that takes place four times a year as part of the operational preparations of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) troops. This was the first time that the IAF participated in the exercise. The Israeli delegation was led by the 105th ("Scorpion") Squadron, along with the 101st ("First Fighter"), 122nd ("Nachshon") and 120th ("Desert Giants ") squadrons. In addition to the Israeli and German Air Forces, the Hungarian Air Force participated as well, piloting the Gripen aircraft (JAS-39).

In the exercise, the air forces performed dozens of flyovers, simulated scenarios of air-to-air and air-to-ground battles, practiced dealing with advanced anti-air missile threats, and trained for combat maneuvers over enemy terrain. Additionally, during the exercise, the air forces flew in unfamiliar environments while applying NATO procedures and partook in joint flight scenarios consisting of mixed crews of the different air forces. 

During the two week exercise, the Israeli and German air forces completed a historic flyby, titled "Memory for the Future”. The flyby was held on August 18th, 2020, and was led by the Commanding Officer of the Israel Air Force, Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin, alongside the Commanding Officer of the German Air Force, Lt. Gen. Ingo Gerhartz, and together with the Israeli Air Force’s first female Flight Squadron Commander, Commanding Officer of the 122nd Squadron, Lt. Col. G.

The flyby passed near the Dachau Concentration Camp, in the memory of the victims of the Holocaust. The Commander of the Israel Air Force, Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin, said: 

“From the memory of the darkness of the past, we carry a shared commitment to the future, eternally.”

The flyby also passed over the Fürstenfeldbruck Airfield in Munich, in memory of the 11 victims of the Munich Olympics Massacre in 1972. During this moment, the 122nd Squadron Commander, Lt. Col. G, stated: 

“We dedicate this flight in their memory, strengthen the hands of the families and salute generations of Israeli Olympic athletes.”

Israeli Air Force personnel also brought a number of meaningful items to the flyby as a symbol of remembrance. Among the items included were: the belt of the late Pesach Zmilag, a Dachau survivor, that was given to the Commanding Officer of the IAF in a meeting with Zmilag’s daughter, Esther; a ring belonging to the late Major Moshe Tadmor Meltzinki, a Holocaust survivor and Israeli Air Force pilot who died during "Operation Kadesh”; and poetry books which belonged to the late Avri (Avraham) Benny, a Dachau survivor and grandfather of the 109th Squadron Deputy Commander, Major Y.

After the flyby, an official memorial ceremony was held in the Dachau Concentration Camp. The ceremony was attended by the German Minister of Defense, Mrs. Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, the Israeli Ambassador to Germany, Mr. Jeremy Issacharoff, Air Force commanders, and other representatives. During the ceremony, the Commanding Officer of the IAF, Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin gave a speech about the importance of remembering the past: 

“I bow my head and remember vividly what happened here not that long ago; those horrors still haunt me. In my mind I see the families who perished from the face of the earth during the war. I see the Jewish culture which was bitterly demolished, and the atrocities in this camp. I remember it all – and never for a moment will I forget.

"Standing here today – I raise my head and look towards the future. This future encompasses Germany. Germany has become a strategic partner, and the German Air Force a true partner of the Israeli Air Force.  

"Today, the Israeli Air Force is participating for the first time in history in an aerial maneuver in German skies. We are training and learning, friend from friend, force from force, and military from military. Even in the midst of this global pandemic, we have chosen to carry out this joint training. This cooperation is powerful and meaningful, especially during these challenging days.

General, I salute you for all you have been doing to strengthen the relationship between our forces. I remember and will never forget, and I am fully aware of the responsibility placed on our shoulders. We expect many more challenges along the way, and I know that we will meet them head on.”

The commanding Officer of the German Air Force, Lt. Gen. Ingo Gerhartz, also spoke at the memorial ceremony, saying:

“Today is an emotional day for me. The Star of David displayed on an Israeli F-16 fighter jet flying by the Dachau Concentration Memorial Site is a strong symbol of Israeli resolve and power. It delivers a clear and explicit response to the Holocaust: Never Again. Today we have established a close partnership between our two air forces. Today we not only trained with each other, we also became closer friends. Recently our Heron TP Operators received their training in Israel and our Eurofighters attended two large exercises in the Negev Desert. I am honored that the Israeli Air Force is flying side by side with the Luftwaffe in Germany for the first time.”

This military exercise garnered massive international interest and marked a historic cooperation between both forces. Together, the Israeli Air Force and German Air Force can enhance combat capability and learn from each other, while strengthening the bond between both forces.