RIYADH: The Royal Saudi Air Force and Greek air force began joint defense exercises “Falcon Eye 2” on Tuesday at the King Faisal Airbase in the northern sector. The drill began with joint sorties by Saudi Arabia’s F-15C and Hellenic Air Force F-16 aircraft. The commander of the King Faisal Airbase, Maj. Gen. Naser bin Saeed Al-Qahtani, said the exercise will bolster bilateral ties between the two countries. Al-Qahtani said the exercise is a result of several coordination meetings, which focused on the mechanism of action, the number, and type of aircraft to be used, and other necessary matters. He said the drill also aims to develop the skills of the aircrew and help boost their readiness to defend their country. Chief of General Staff Gen. Fayyad bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili decorated his Greek counterpart Gen. Konstantinos Floros with King Abdulaziz Medal, excellence class, in line with an order from King Salman. This came during a meeting, where the two sides reviewed prospects for military cooperation and ways to enhance and support them, in addition to discussing issues of mutual interest. Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Moghedi, secretary-general of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition, met with Gen. Floros to discuss ways of joint cooperation between the Islamic alliance and the Greece. They also reviewed the coalition’s efforts in combating terrorism. Maj. Gen. Al-Moghedi said that the coalition represents an important military system that seeks to strengthen military cooperation between member states, and praised Greece for its “great and pioneering role in combating terrorism and combating violent extremism in all its forms in the Mediterranean region and Europe.” The Greek chief of staff praised the coalition’s role in serving the interests of member countries and its efforts in combating terrorism.