Israeli Air Force Keeps Busy

Israel test fired a new ballistic missile Wednesday amidst speculation that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was planning an attack against Iran. The Israeli defense ministry said the launch was pre-planned and intended solely to test a “new missile propulsion system,” reported Flight Global. However, just two days prior, Netanyahu warned of a “direct and heavy threat” posed by Iran’s nuclear program, reported Reuters. The missile, which was launched from the Palmachim air force base along the Mediterranean shore, allegedly flew “at a high angle skyward” for “several minutes,” according to Reuters. Also Wednesday, Israeli officials announced that the air force had flown major offensive and defensive drills in recent days over Sardinia, an Italian island. A total of 14 Israeli F-16s participated in the simulation along with the Italian air force, reported the Jerusalem Post. “We simulated a common enemy. The cooperation between us and the Italians was very good,” said a pilot quoted by the Jerusalem Post. The maneuver drill was said to have been in the works for months.