Saudi Air Defense Forces conclude live firing exercise
In light of the increased risk of Houthi attacks, The Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces have completed live-fire exercises for various air defence systems due to the increased risk of attacks by Iranian-backed armed groups, mainly the Houthi militia.
That comes as the joint and mixed air exercise (Twaiq 2) was launched in the presence of the Commander of Prince Sultan Air Base in the Central Sector, Major General Pilot Mohsen bin Saeed Al-Zahrani, and the heads of the participating delegations, according to the agency SPA.
The Tuwaiq 2 exercise – which requires a high level of competence and professionalism in the operational, technical and administrative aspects – comes with broad participation from some Arab countries.
The participated Arab countries are the Sultanate of Oman, the United Arab Emirates, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Republic of Egypt. Also participating: Kuwait and Bahrain, as observers.
The two-week exercise seeks to attain the most significant levels of preparation and operational compatibility, and integration. Lt. Colonel Muhammad Ibrahim bin Sufyan, the exercise’s commander, noted that the joint and mixed air exercise (Tuwaiq 2) aims to improve operational and training preparedness for tactical airdrops while also instilling a competitive spirit among the participants.
It will be carried out in different stages, including the planning and implementing many flights and the exercise.
Background
The range and target set of Houthi assaults are expected to expand, posing a threat to Gulf assets. Many of the attacks on Riyadh occurred during the Formula E championship, indicating that the Houthis are becoming more likely to target other high-profile events hosted in Saudi Arabia.
The Houthi claimed to have used Samad-3 and Qassef-2K UAVs to attack Abha and Khamis Mushait. The Samad-3 can be equipped with explosives and has a range of 1,500 km, enabling the Houthis to engage a large set of Saudi and UAE territory targets.
