US trains Gulf air forces to help it, in case of war with Iran

US Air Force chief of staff Gen Michael Mosley told the air warfare conference in Washington about how the US Air Force is helping to coordinate intelligence-sharing with Gulf Arab nations as well as organising combined exercises, to make it easier to fight together. In the conference Gen Mosley met with his counterparts from West Asian countries to seek closer links with allies whose support America might need if President George W Bush chooses to bomb Iran.

The Pentagon air chiefs have helped set up an air warfare centre in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where Gulf nations are training their fighter pilots and America has big bases. It is modelled on the US Air Force warfare centre at Nellis air force base in Nevada. Jordan and the UAE have both taken part in combined exercises designed to make sure their air forces can fly, and fight, together with American air force jets.

The conference was long-planned to discuss developments in air warfare technology, and the question of possible hostilities involving Iran was fairly openly discussed. It is unlikely, though, that America''s Gulf allies would join any US air strike on Iran. But their co-operation will be required to allow the passage of warplanes though their airspace. Iran''s Arab neighbours are also being prepared to deal with any Iranian attempt to target them in return.