The Israel Air Force (IAF) has launched a ‘surprise format exercise’ to improve combat readiness in the Northern Theatre.

Called Vered Hagalil (Galilee Rose), the force-wide annual exercise began on 14 February and will run until 17 February. It commenced a week ahead of the original date.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

The exercise is being conducted under the order of the IAF commander major general Amikam Norkin.

Head of training lieutenant colonel ‘O’ said: “The first day focused mainly on planning and preparing for a war-time scenario, while days two and three will be dedicated to around-the-clock fighting.

“The final day will be centred around defending Israel’s airspace.”

It will simulate combat scenarios and train the Israeli Air Force’s divisions in maintaining air supremacy, defending the country’s airspace, and missions such as attack and reconnaissance.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Furthermore, the exercise will evaluate capabilities such as planning, control, execution as well as end-to-end logistics and technological of the airforce.

O added: “One of the main aspects that differentiate between war and training, is unpredictability.

“The element of surprise is expressed in the ability to adapt plans to a changing reality. It also reflects the way in which we deal with the mental-psychological challenges of uncertainty”.

Last August, the Israeli Air Force conducted its first joint military exercise in German airspace, a move that further strengthens cooperation between the two countries.

Airforce Technology Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Airforce Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.


Excellence in Action
Discover how Virtualitics is transforming mission readiness with explainable AI, predictive maintenance, and data-driven decision intelligence across the U.S. Department of Defense through its AI-powered Integrated Readiness Optimization suite, for which it has won the Innovation and Business Expansion awards.

Discover the Impact