Sunday, May 18, 2014

Israel, US holding joint missile defense drill

JPOST.COM STAFF
LAST UPDATED: 05/18/2014 

Some 1,000 American soldiers arrive in Israel for biennial exercise due to start on Sunday morning; armies to test joint abilities to respond to projectile attacks.

Iron Dome rocket defense battery [file]
Iron Dome rocket defense battery [file] Photo: Ben Hartman
Israel and the United States were slated to hold a joint missile defense drill on Sunday morning.
The biennial exercise is designed to test the ability of joint operations between the two nations in response to missile attacks.
Some 1,000 American soldiers arrived in Israel for the drill, Israel Radio reported.
On Thursday, it was announced that the Israeli and American air forces had began a joint exercise, which is expected to last until next week. The IDF released no additional details about the drill.
US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel met last week with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon and other Israeli officials to discuss regional security issues. In his meeting with Netanyahu, Hagel reiterated the Obama administration's commitment to deterring Iran from gaining nuclear weapons capabilities.
The US defense chief stressed in his meeting with the prime minister that American support for Israel is currently at "an all-time high."
"America's commitment to Israel's security is resolute," Hagel stated.
"The United States' support for Israel is anchored in our nations' commitment to democracy and freedom", Hagel said.

Yaakov Lappin contributed to this report.

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