Safe Skies 2011 came to a close on 29 July 2011 in ceremonies at Mirogorod AB, Ukraine. The exercise was a twelve-day US European Command-sponsored aerial military-to-military exchange with the Ukrainian and Polish Air Forces. During Safe Skies, Air Guard F-16 pilots from Iowa and Alabama flew 122 intercept missions with Ukrainian Su-27s and MiG-29s and Polish F-16s. The goal of the exercise was to promote and enhance multinational cooperation in airspace security as part of preparations for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. More than 130 US Air National Guardsmen from five states, along with more than 200 Ukraine and Polish Air Force personnel participated.
