Israel's flat terrain does not allow for the effective practice of transporting soldiers to combat areas, evacuating civilians or rescuing pilots from unknown territory. The Greek mountains allow IAF CH-53 Sea Stallion and CH-60 Black Hawk helicopters to simulate operations in a more demanding environment.
An IDF source said Sunday that Israel is grateful to have the opportunity to gain valuable experience in a "complex combat arena that is not available in Israel," the Jerusalem Post reported.
The source added that during the drills Israeli helicopters landed and took off from 2,918-meter Mount Olympus, flying and hiding around the peak in rugged terrain.
Apache attack helicopters, IAF Hercules and Super-Hercules transport planes, and Tzofit Beechcraft King Air intelligence-gathering aircraft participated in the annual exercise staged by the two militaries.
