Joint US-Saudi Air Force Exercises Launched Following Naval Drills

The third joint rehearsal of military maneuvers between the Royal Saudi Air Force and the US Air Force kicked off on Wednesday, while other naval exercises for the Royal Saudi Navy concluded on Thursday.

The Saudi Ministry of Defense said in a statement that the Air Force participated in the exercise with its F-15SA fighters, while the US forces partook with the B-52 strategic bomber and F-16 fighter jets.

According to the statement, the exercise seeks to raise the highest levels of readiness and contribute to reaching operational integration with the aim to unify joint action to achieve security and peace.

Saudi Arabia attaches great importance to its naval exercises to secure waterways in the region.

Brigadier General Awad Al-Enezi, director of the exercise, noted that the participating vessels executed a number of marine formations, as well as boarding and searching ships, reconnaissance operations and port training and defense, in addition to drone operations and shooting air and surface enemy targets with live ammunition.

The naval exercise also featured a number of combat scenarios, such as dealing with hostile targets with live ammunition and operations of maritime rescue and protection of ports.

Enezi praised the participants for their “professionalism and high readiness,” saying the joint exercise brought about “many positive results that reflect the importance of continuous training.”