F-16
F-16iStock

Israel has been invited to participate in a joint training exercise with the British Royal Air Force later this year, the British military announced Thursday.

The exercise, dubbed the 'Cobra Warrior,' will be the first joint exercise of its kind between the Israeli and British air forces.

Initial reports on the joint exercise appeared on Jewish news websites in Britain and were confirmed by a statement from the British Ministry of Defense. The IDF has refused to comment on the report.

“The Israeli Air Force will be participating in Exercise Cobra Warrior in September 2019,” a British Ministry of Defense spokesperson said.

The Cobra Warrior exercise is the final training mission pilots and navigators in the Royal Air Force undergo before they are certified as a qualified weapons instructor.

Israel is not the first country to be invited to join the Cobra Warrior. The German air force participated in the September 2017 exercise.

The Royal Air Force participated in the 'Blue Flag' joint exercise in Israel in 2017.