Mohammed bin Zayed honours commanders

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, attended the Armed Forces celebration of the 37th anniversary of the Air Force and Air Defence Unification Day, and inaugurated the Liwa Airbase at Madinat Zayed in the Western Region.

The celebration started with the arrival of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the Liwa Airbase and the playing of the national anthem. His Highness was received by Air Vice Marshal Mohammed bin Suwaidan Saeed Al Qamzi, Commander of the Air Force and Air Defence.

The celebration continued with a military parade of all Air Force and Air Defence units as well as female military officers, as the UAE's leadership was keen to attend to the role played by female citizens in serving the country by joining the armed forces and having the honour of defending the nation.

A parachute jump was carried out at the Liwa Airbase by a team of Armed Forces parachutists carrying flags of the UAE, the Armed Forces, and the Air Force and Air Defense. A remarkable joint flyover by the UAE Air Force and Air Defense aircraft was held afterwards which reflected the pilots' extraordinary skills in flying and maneuvering.

The flyover was followed by an astounding aerobatic show that was performed for the first time by Al Fusran (The Knights) UAE National Aerobatic Team. The team comprised of a selected group of Air Force and Air Defense pilots.

Al Fusran team was founded in early 2008 and consists of seven pilots and seven Italian Aermacch MB339 aircraft, (the number 7 symbolises the seven Emirates).

The aerobatic display team is on track to achieve operational status, following the completion of training activities being conducted in Italy. The aerobatic show reflected a great professionalism and highly developed skills as well as accuracy, control and strong will.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed honored retired commanders of the UAE Air Force and Air Defence. He also honored the late Captain Majed Ahmed Mohammed Al Naqbi, who died recently while on a training mission.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed then toured the Air Force and Air Defence exhibition, which displayed old equipment and machinery along with other equipment entered recently into service, accompanied by the Chief of Staff of the UAE Armed Forces.

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