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US and Israeli troops launch month-long joint drill simulating missile attack

The “Juniper Cobra” exercise will include field training, computer simulations and live-fire drills

PUBLISHED : Friday, 09 March, 2018, 2:01am 
Israel Middle East United States
 


If war breaks out in the Middle East, US and Israeli forces are preparing to one day fight alongside one another to defend Israel against missile attacks from across the region.

Nearly 5,000 Israeli and American troops have been training together in Israel for that very scenario. The “Juniper Cobra” exercise includes field training, computer simulations and live-fire drills of sophisticated missile-defence systems.

“We will practice, train shoulder to shoulder, the same as we will fight in crisis times,” Brig. General Zvika Haimovich, chief of Israel’s air defence command, told reporters at a briefing at the dusty Hatzor airbase in southern Israel.

“We practise that because this is a real scenario,” he said. The threats include multiple salvoes, more accurate rockets and missiles and a “multidirectional threat.” Israel has made missile defence a priority since Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein bombarded the country with 39 Scud missiles during the 1991 Gulf War.

Hezbollah and Iranian forces are also active in neighbouring Syria, backing President Bashar al-Assad. Gaza’s Hamas rulers have a vast arsenal of rockets, and Iran has developed long-range missiles that can reach Israel.

These threats are concrete. Hezbollah rained some 4,000 rockets into Israel during a month-long war in 2006, while Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza have fired thousands of rockets into Israel from the south.

Israel, in cooperation with the US, has developed a multilayer system of missile defence. This includes the “Arrow” system, which can intercept long-range missiles before they enter the atmosphere, the “David’s Sling” system for medium-range threats and the “Iron Dome,” which has been successful at intercepting short-range rocket fire. Israel also uses the American-made “Patriot” system.

While Israel takes pride in its ability to defend itself, Haimovich said the cooperation with the Americans provides additional depth to its “toolbox.” About 2,500 American troops are taking part in the drill, which began on March 4 and will run through the end of the month.

Lieutenant General Richard Clark, commander of the US troops, said American forces are ready to deploy in Israel at Israel’s request. Once Israel gives the green light, he said American forces could start moving from Europe within two or three days.

Juniper Cobra has taken place every two years since 2001, adjusting each time to cope with an ever-

shifting battlefield.
