Israel pulls fighter jets from drill in Alaska amid tensions with Iran

The Israeli Air Force has decided to scale back its participation in the Red Flag exercise amid increasing tensions on Israel’s northern border.

“In light of the situational assessment by the Air Force it was decided to adjust the planes’ participation in the exercise,” read a statement by the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, stressing that nonetheless, “Israel’s first participation in the Red Flag exercise in Alaska will take place as planned.”

According to a statement by Air Force public affairs officer Kitsana Dounglomchan, Israel’s Air Force decided not to send F-15 fighter jets to the two week long drill, which will run between April 26-May 11, out of Eielson Air Force base in Fairbanks and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage.

“Despite this change, we are looking forward to hosting the Israeli contingent that will be partaking in Red Flag-Alaska 18-1,” Dounglomchan was quoted by local media as saying.

The Red Flag exercises take place several times a year bringing together US and international forces for drills on realistic simulated combat situations. A statement released by Pacific Air Forces, the Alaskan Command’s higher headquarters which directs the exercise, said that over 60 aircraft “from more than a dozen units” will be taking part in the drill.

Israel regularly participates in US Air Force’s main Red Flag exercises at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada and the drill in Alaska is meant to offer pilots the opportunity to fly in combat scenarios which involve winter conditions such as snow and ice that Israeli pilots rarely get to drill on in the Middle East.

The “exercise is designed to provide realistic training in a simulated combat environment,” read a statement by the US Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs, adding that “Red Flag-Alaska exercises provide unique opportunities to integrate various forces in a realistic threat environment.”

Tensions on Israel’s northern border have been rising in recent months as Israel fears that Iran is entrenching itself deeper into war-torn Syria with its presence on Israel’s borders growing in strength.

With long-range strike and reconnaissance capabilities, Israel’s F-15s are the backbone of the Israel Air Force, carrying out operations over Syria and the Gaza Strip.

In mid-April, the Russian military announced that Israel carried out an airstrike against Syria’s T4 airbase with two F-15s with guided missiles fired from Lebanese airspace. The airstrike killed seven Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps soldiers, including Col. Mehdi Dehghan who led the drone unit operating out of the base.

Following the strikes, Israel placed its troops on alert, preparing for a direct attack from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – and not by proxies as done before- under the command of Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani in the form of precision-guided missiles or armed drones from a base in Syria.

Hossein Salami, the second-in-command of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps said Friday that Israel should “not trust” its air bases, as they are “within range of our fire.”

“The finger is on the trigger and the missiles are ready at any given moment that the enemy conducts something against us, and we will launch them,” Salami stated.

On Sunday Israel’s Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman warned that while Israel was not planning for war, “those who threaten (Israel) need to understand there is a price to be paid.”

“Iran is setting up weapons systems in Syria that are positioned only against us. We will not allow for Syria to become a military base [for the Iranians],” he said. “We have established here a state and the IDF specifically to prevent these threats, and those who threaten need to understand there is a price to be paid, and they will pay a full price.”