Israel Holds Largest Joint Drills With US Amid Tensions With Lebanon
SputnikNews.com
09.03.2018
US and Israeli military officials announced that they have launched a month-long joint military drill that simulates a missile attack on Tel Aviv.
About 2,500 soldiers, including 1,400 marines and 1,100 naval personnel from the US European Command (USEUCOM), along with 2,000 Israeli Aerial Defense troops, logistics units and other Israel Defense Forces (IDF) units are deployed in Israel to take part in the so-called “Juniper Cobra 2018” drill, which is said to be the largest joint combat exercise between the two states. In addition, two US Navy vessels arrived in Israel to take part in the exercise.
“For more than four weeks, they will train shoulder to shoulder, the same as we will fight in times of crisis. It’s not just about an exercise,” Brig. Gen. Zvika Haimovich, Israel’s air defense commander, said.
He also added that the military drill “will serve as an opportunity” for Israeli troops “to enhance operational capabilities in the face of high-trajectory threats.”
As part of the ninth Cobra military drill, the forces of the two countries will perform simulations of missile threat scenarios, including testing of the anti-ballistic missile system Arrow, the Iron Dome anti-rocket system, the medium-range interceptor Patriot missile systems and David’s Sling, which is designed to shoot down mid-range missiles launched by Hezbollah in Lebanon.
“In the coming weeks we will train together to face complex and challenging scenarios, which are relevant to the dynamic range of threats that we must be prepared to face,” Haimovich stated.
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