International Partnerships Continue to Grow

Yesterday, the first day of the conference, the air force commanders spoke about training and cooperation possibilities, as well as technological advancements. Additionally, industry experts spoke about their innovations, which greatly contribute to the IAF and other air forces’ capabilities.

A senior IAF commander commented, “This conference shows the global appreciation for the Israeli Air Force’s achievements and for the men and women of the air force.”

While the goal of the conference is cooperation, the IAF also strives to present its storied history to its international counterparts in order to help them understand Israel’s current challenges.

“I want to try to explain how immense, how enormous the Israeli Air Force’s challenges are today for the air force personnel, the men and women, who live in a very high operational tempo, and with a constantly changing the geopolitical context. You have to constantly adapt the operational process and the way you operate. It’s a huge challenge,” said a senior IAF commander.

Today, as a part of the conference, the air force commanders participated in an aerial exercise and had the chance to meet the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu at Tel Nof Airbase.

After completing the exercise, the Chief of Staff of the Italian Air Force, Lieutenant General Enzo Vecciarelli, said, “We are here to share our experiences among professionals and we found some very experienced [professionals] in the Israeli Air Force. We appreciate today, flying together, enjoying the beauty of your country, and also the quality of this training machine. [Major] General Norkin, thank you for what you have done for us.”

Air Marshal Stuart Atha of the Royal Air Force added, “There is no air force with a prouder history than the Israeli Air Force. It’s also an opportunity to celebrate and recognize what we are doing, day-to-day, as air forces together. Perhaps more importantly is to look to the future and how, as air forces, we can continue to work together.”

Tomorrow, on the last day of the conference, the air force commanders will have the chance to go to Jerusalem and see the heart of Israel. However, the conference is not the end of their cooperation. The air forces will continue to work together with the IAF to ensure regional stability and will share technological advancements.