Scope of the Blue Flag exercise includes training within the area of carrying out complicated operations, in realistic conditions replicating the ones present on the modern battlefield. As it has been stressed by Lt. Col. Artur Goławski, spokesperson for the Polish General Command of the Armed Forces, the aim of the exercise is to enhance the skills possessed by the pilots, however, the officers responsible for mission planning (also in an international setting) are also going to benefit from the deployment.

For the Polish F-16 jets, this is the second visit to Israel. The first one took place in 2012. This time, the Polish deployment is going to consist of 80 members of the military, whose stay in Israel is scheduled between 14th and 30th October.

It is worth to recall the fact that back in 1997, well before Poland became a NATO member state, the Polish MiG-29 fighters were temporarily deployed in Israel, which made it possible for the Israeli Air Force to get acquainted with the hardware used by the potential enemies.

The first Blue Flag exercise took place in November 2013. The exercise, executed with the use of English language exclusively, involved Israeli, United States, Italian and Hellenic air forces. Its scope covered – among other areas – carrying out operations in an environment, with a high density of the enemy’s air defence systems.