The Saudi British “Desert Soldiers 3” military exercise wrapped up in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday. The drill started on 01 April 2019.

The two-week event, in which Saudi land forces took part together with their British counterparts, was attended by the Commander of the North Western Military Region Major General Dr. Zafer bin Ali Al-Shehri; Director of Training Department Major General Ali bin Abdulrahman Al-Gahtani; as well as the Commander of the 51st light Infantry of the British army and the British Military Attaché at the British Embassy in Riyadh.

A speech ceremony was held to mark the occasion, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

In December 2018, the Saudi and British air forces conducted the Green Flag 2018 Exercise (photo) at King Fahd Air Base in Al Taif.

The exercise’s aim was to improve the overall combat readiness of the Saudi Air Force and increase the capacities of crews and personnel through a series of training flights of varying complexity. It allows both forces to share technical knowledge and learn about how the other operates.

Major General Haidar bin Rafie Al-Omari, Commander of the air base and the exercise, said it is a critical part of this year’s training plan for the armed forces.

“The Saudi British Green Flag Exercise involves all our air force combat systems supporting Operation Decisive Storm and Operation Restoring Hope (in Yemen),” he added. 

“The British Royal Air Force aims to integrate all combat systems, including air combat, air support and electronic warfare, and especially how to use them against the enemy’s land defense systems for maximum operational efficiency,” he noted.

Colonel Khalid bin Yusuf Al-Yusuf, who oversaw the exercise, said it covered a range of tactics such as electronic warfare, electronic jamming, ground forces support and avoiding land-based threats. 

“All these scenarios take place in a real combat environment, ensuring true-to-life conditions for best results,” he added.