Tel Aviv. While Turkey became a De Jure member of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) other De Facto coalitions are being built in the West Asia with European cooperation with an eye on Iran that is now free to gallop undisturbed to the bomb and other advanced weapon systems.
The Israeli air force (IAF) earlier this month performed an exercise with the German air force in Germany.
The relations between the two air forces are part of a growing cooperation between the IAF and other “Regional” and European air forces, like those of Greece and Italy.
While as said this operational cooperation may seem to be based on the need to learn from each other and especially from the IAF which performs combat missions every day, others see a different reason.
These sources point to the fact that the German air force has been part of the coalition that helped the US forces in Syria to fight the last strongholds of the Islamic sate organization.
Those who claim that the cooperation between the air forces is not just for “mutual learning” say that the behind the scenes reasons for the buildup of these coalitions are two – the threat posed by Iran and the fact that Turkey in fact has left NATO, and is building broader relations with Russia and China.
A former high ranking officer in the IAF, who talked with Raksha Anirveda on condition of anonymity, said that the joint exercise have two main targets. “One is to practice and mutually learn tactics and scenarios but in parallel to the signal to any country threatening the countries that may be affected by nations like Iran and Turkey which in certain conditions face a well-trained, well equipped coalition of air forces.”
This low profile line that has gained momentum in recent years, together with joint exercises of the US and Israeli air forces, including one with F-35s are now clearer.
While the activity has not yet resulted in an open statement has caused the tightening of the operational ties between the IAF and some other air forces in the region and Europe.
Notably, the war in Libya further raised the concerns about Turkey’s obligations to NATO and the west.
-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist
-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
