The Israel Dog Unit (IDU), a nonprofit specializing in working dogs, took part in an IAF SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) exercise lasting 115 hours straight in the desert of southern Israel.
The exercise included dozens of IDU volunteers and the use of specialized equipment. The volunteers were drilled in various scenarios and ways of coping with the war's effects.
IAF representatives noted the importance of training a new generation of soldiers due to the war and were pleased to see that the exercise had mutual benefit for both the Air Force and the IDU.
IDU director Yekutiel Ben-Yaakov commented: "We are pleased to assist the Air Force in training its pilots, and we welcome the special cooperation with the Air Force, which assists in the national effort of thwarting terror attacks and locating missing persons - the two main areas in which the IDU is engaged. There is no doubt that this exercise contributed to the IDU's rescue capacity, as well as to training new pilots. We see it as a privilege to work with determined soldiers who are highly motivated to carry out what is required to protect the citizens of Israel during this complex period. We salute the Air Force and wish success to the pilots.''