Lieutenant General Prince Turki bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Commander of the Saudi Royal Air Force (RAF), sponsored the joint Saudi-Tunisian air exercises Wednesday, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
The supervisor of the exercises, Colonel Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Shahrani, said that the Saudi-Tunisian exercises began several days ago at Sidi Ahmed Air Base in the Tunisian city of Bizerte and witnessed a training program that included a number of air defense and offensive operations with a number of warplanes from both sides.
Colonel Shahrani said that a number of maneuvers had been successfully implemented, including theoretical and practical training in aviation safety procedures, technical support, logistics and aircraft maintenance, training on speeding up air operations, standardization of military tactics used in flights and training on intercepting unauthorized aircraft.
The Saudi Royal Air Force arrived in Tunis on 01 October to participate in this military exercise, the first of their kind with Tunisian Air Force.
The Military Attaché of Saudi Embassy in Tunisia Brigadier General Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Sahayan then explained that these exercises aim at sharing experiences with the Tunisian Air Force, and come as a part of the great efforts of the Ministry of Defense to train all units of the armed forces.
Al-Shahrani said the exercises are part of the annual Ministry of Defense training plans for the armed forces, and that they help to strengthen relations and cooperation between the Royal Saudi Air Force and the Tunisian Air Force, refine the skills of air crews, offer a chance to exchange experiences in the fields of technical supply and support, improve combat skills to enhance joint performance, and train air crews to carry out operations in different environments.
He also pointed out that the maneuvers aim to highlight the capabilities, professionalism and readiness of the Saudi Air Forces.
In another development, Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, Saudi Minister of Interior, arrived in the Kingdom of Morocco Wednesday on an official visit.
Upon his arrival at Rabat Salé Airport, he was received by Moroccan Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit, and a number of officials.
