The chief of the United Arab Emirates Air Force visited Israel on Monday on what the host country described as a harbinger of cooperation in air power.
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The US allies normalized relations last year, brought together by shared worries about Iran and a desire for business ventures. Their public embrace has so far been in the diplomatic and commercial, rather than military, spheres.
Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Nasser Mohammed Al-Alawi, commander of the Emirati Air Force, made the previously unannounced appearance during a multinational drill, Blue Flag, hosted by Israel this week. Over 100 aircraft from seven countries are taking part in the exercise.
The UAE did not take part in the drill, rather sent Alawi to observe a portion of the maneuvers. This was his first official visit to Israel since the signing of the Abraham Accords in Septemeber 2020. Earlier this year, Israeli and Emirati pilots flew together in an exercise hosted by Greece, and have taken part in US-led air force drills in the past.
"This is a truly historic day with tremendous significance for the future of cooperation between our air forces," his Israeli counterpart, Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin, tweeted. The statement did not elaborate on how such cooperation might look.
Israeli media suggested the UAE, along with Gulf neighbor Bahrain, which also formalized ties with Israel last year, be interested in joint defenses against Iranian-made drones.
Briefing foreign reporters last week, a senior Israeli security official said security cooperation with Arab countries in new partnerships with Israel had "improved and intensified in recent months."
He did not name the countries nor detail the cooperation, other than to say it had been enhanced by Israel's inclusion this year in Centcom, a US military coordination umbrella organization for the Middle East.
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