The first Israeli Blue Flag exercise was held at Ovda air base between November 24 and 28. Upgraded F-15D Baz 450 of 133 Squadron, equipped with a satellite communication antenna aft of the cockpit, is pictured departing Ovda for a sortie during Blue Flag on November 26. In addition to the host nation's combat aircraft Greece (F-76 Block 52s of 340 Mira, based at Souda), Italy (Tornados of 155° Gruppo, 50° Stormo from Piacenza, and Istrana-based AMXs of 51° Stormo) and the US Air Force (F-15Es of the 492nd Fighter Squadron, 48th Fighter Wing from RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk) also sent fighters to the exercise. The overseas visitors spent the week before Blue Flag started familiarising themselves with procedures and operations in Israeli airspace.
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