Israel Air Force advertises jets’ drilling of long-range ‘military option’
Published October 11, 2013
(JTA) — The Israeli Air Force held a long-range missions exercise and posted photos and a video of the drill in a move widely interpreted as a warning aimed at Iran.
The footage posted on Thursday on YouTube and shows the aerial refueling of two warplanes, an F-15 and an F-16, from several angles, including from within the cockpit. The photos, which were posted along with the video on the Hebrew-language version of the Israel Air Force website, show three fighter jets accompanying a fueling plane at an unspecified location.
“’All options on the table’ means also military options,’” the item on the website read, in what foreign and local media interpreted as a clear allusion to Israel’s options in its efforts to prevent Iran from developing military nuclear capabilities. “The air force, the long arm of the Israel Defense Forces, is tasked with carrying out that option if necessary.”
Iran has denied that it is pursuing plans to develop military nuclear weapons.
According to Haaretz, Greece’s air force also participated in the drill.