When late King Faisal bin Abdulaziz inaugurated King Faisal Air Academy (KFAA) 50 years ago, he said, "In the name of Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful, may Allah Almighty, render this for the triumph of our religion, the glory of our beloved country and the exaltedness of our noble nation." As has now been proved, this supplication has become a reality thanks to the dedication of the people at the Academy. The graduates of KFAA are the supporters of the religion and the defenders of the country. The 50th anniversary celebrations of KFAA, under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz, will also coincide with the 91st graduation ceremony of the Academy and the induction of new F-15-SA fighter aircraft, which recently joined the Royal Saudi Air Force fleet. The new fleet has been introduced into the Air Force after much planning on the part of the Armed Forces, under the leadership of Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense. Since assuming his position, Prince Mohammed has been laying stress on upgrading the defense forces and enhancing their fighting capabilities. This approach clearly reflects the leadership's strong determination to defend the nation and its citizens. The Saudi Armed Forces have never adopted an aggressive posture. Efforts to strengthen its capabilities are to increase its competencies in the defense of the country and the Arab/Muslim world against aggressors. In fact, they are a strong force against terrorist elements, particularly in Yemen, whose only apparent goal is to bring chaos to the region. The KFAA celebrations once again bring to fore the acts of valor by our Armed Forces – for which we salute them.
