Israeli F-16I Fighters Resume Training

18/9/2013 IsraelDefense

Training resumes two months after the F-16I "Sufa" aircraft were grounded due to a malfunction that forced two air crewmembers to abandon their aircraft off the coast of Gaza

The Israeli Air Force's F-16I "Sufa" squadron has resumed training after being grounded for two weeks to an aircraft crashing near the coast of Gaza in July, when two air crewmembers were forced to abandon the aircraft and were rescued by IDF rescue unit 669.

The first training took place at the Ramon base and included practice of air-to-air combat basics, combat in complex scenarios while using smart armaments and practicing aerial refueling.

The technical branch of the Sufa squadrons is additionally striving to prepare the aircraft for sorties in a short period of time after a two month recess.

In the past few months, there has been an investigation into the events of the accident, during which the engine of the aircraft shut down during flight, resulting in the air crew abandoning the aircraft according to procedure and their subsequent rescue. According to the results of the investigation, a technical malfunction in the aircraft engine is what apparently led to the engine shutting down.