Joint Saudi-Sudanese Air Exercise

摘要

Saudi Arabia and Sudan have for the first time held a joint air exercise, which took place in Sudan between March 29 and April 9. Exercise Blue Shield I was staged at Meroe Air Base north of Sudan's capital Khartoum, and involved two dozen aircraft from the Sudanese Air Force (MiG-29s, Su-24s, Su-25s and Mi-17s) and 18 aircraft from the Royal Saudi Air Force, including four F-15Cs and four Typhoons from King Fahad Air Force Base. In addition, Sudan contributed 450 personnel and Saudi Arabia 250 to the exercise. Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and Commander of the Saudi Air Force Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Otaibi visited the exercise on April 9, which saw a display by seven Hawks from the Saudi Hawks display team.