The air forces of China and the United Arab Emirates will train together for the first time next month, according to the Chinese defence ministry.
The “Falcon Shield 2023” exercises will take place in China's northwestern Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, the ministry said in a brief statement on Monday, SIA reports.
It marks the first time China and the UAE will hold a joint air force exercise, as the move aims to deepen practical exchange and cooperation between the two countries' militaries and boost understanding and mutual trust, said the Chinese Defense Ministry.
The first China-UAE joint air force exercise is a good start to enhance military exchanges and cooperation with countries in the Middle East, Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military aviation expert, told the Global Times on Monday.
The joint exercise is a natural development after the UAE procured Chinese military aircraft earlier this year, marking the deepening of the relations between the two countries' militaries, Fu said.
In February, China announced that it had sealed a deal to export the domestically developed L15 advanced trainer jet to the UAE. In 2022, the Defense Ministry of the UAE said it intended to buy 12 L15s from China, with the option for 36 additional aircraft of the same type in the future.
As the new generation of light attack and combat trainer jet independently developed by China, the L15 can be used to train pilots for fourth- and fifth-generation fighter jets, or it can also carry out air-to-air combat and land attack missions. The Chinese People's Liberation Army also fly the L15 under the designation JL-10.
As military ties between China and the UAE continue to develop, there could be more joint exercises and arms deals, analysts said.
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