The U.S. and Israeli militaries on Sunday began their largest-ever joint exercise to practice integrating defense systems in case of massive missile attacks on the Jewish state, bolstering efforts to deter possible strikes by Iran and its allies.
Dubbed “Austere Challenge 12,” the drill highlights the allies' close military ties despite months of public bickering between the White House and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over how to block Tehran's nuclear program, Israeli analysts said.
The U.S.-Israel friction peaked several weeks ago when Netanyahu and top administration officials engaged in a series of pointed exchanges over whether or not to establish a “red line”' that would trigger military action.
That spat has spilled into the U.S. presidential campaign, with Republican candidate Mitt Romney seizing on the dispute to attack the Obama administration's foreign policy as aimed at distancing Israel from the U.S. The White House rejects that claim, and has countered that President Barack Obama has raised security cooperation with Israel to unprecedented levels.
U.S. and Israeli military officials have tried to play down political and geopolitical interpretations of the timing of the exercise. When the exercise was delayed this year at Israel's request, it stoked speculation that the move was intended to reduce tensions spurred by speculation about an Israeli attack.
Lt. Gen. Craig Franklin, Commander of the Third Air Force and regional defense commander for European command, said last week that the drill is unrelated to the election or regional tensions. “There is no particular message. It's to prove the defensive capabilities for Israel,” he said.
Nevertheless, the possibility of a counterattack on the Jewish state by Tehran and its Hamas and Hezbollah allies in response to an Israeli strike against nuclear targets in Iran figures to be the most immediate and likely threat Israel faces.
Iran denies Western accusations that it is developing a nuclear weapon, and says its nuclear program is for civilian use. Nonetheless, its leaders have vowed an all-out retaliation against Israel if it is attacked.
The exercise simulates a multi-*front war with several high-tempo salvos aimed at Israeli targets, ranging from long range ballistic missiles to mortars, said U.S. and Israeli generals.
The three-week drill, which is costing the U.S. $30 million, includes more than 3,500 U.S. soldiers, including 1,000 in Israel, the deployment of Patriot missile batteries and a ship with an Aegis ballistic-missile radar system. On the Israeli side, the exercise will include its Arrow and Iron Dome missile-defense systems.
This exercise is the sixth large-scale drill between the allies since 2000. The last large-scale joint exercise, known as Juniper Cobra, was held in 2010.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
