The Israeli Air Force carried out a drill overnight Tuesday over the Mediterranean Sea simulating airstrikes on Iran with hundreds of aircraft.

The drill was part of Israel’s month-long “Chariots of Fire” training drill, the largest IDF training exercise in decades.

Fighter jets, refueling aircraft, and transport planes took off from bases in Israel to Cyprus and circled over the country while carrying out mock airstrikes. The jets were refueled twice in the course of the simulation.

Special forces from the helicopter search-and-rescue Unit 669 stood on standby to aid pilots who may have needed to bail out from their planes.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)