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‘Largest-Ever’ Joint American-Israeli Air Defense Drill Starts in Just Two Weeks

Oct. 10, 2012 10:40am Sharona Schwartz

Arrow 3 Defense Missile Launch Test (File photo credit: Israeli Defense Ministry via Israel Hayom)

The much anticipated American-Israeli joint military drill is set to begin in just two weeks, an Israeli army source says. TheBlaze reported in January on the original plans for the exercise – dubbed Austere Challenge 12 – which had been planned for last spring but was then postponed until this fall.The scope of the forces participating was also significantly scaled back, with Time reporting in August that Washington was “slashing by more than two-thirds the number of American troops going to Israel and reducing both the number and potency of missile-interception systems at the core of the joint exercise.”

Still, it’s being called in Israeli media reports the “largest-ever” joint U.S.-Israeli defense drill and will begin on October 21.

Yediot Aharonot reports that U.S. military officers have begun arriving in Israel in preparation for the larger landing of military personnel on October 14. It also reports that among the hardware to be tested are the Arrow anti-ballistic missile batteries and Iron Dome interception systems.

The Jerusalem Post provides more details:

On October 14, large numbers of American soldiers are expected to begin arriving in Israel, where they will set up aerial defense positions on Israeli territory and on US Navy vessels off the Israeli coastline.

The three-week drill will simulate various missile defense scenarios, and is expected to end with a live-fire interception of a decoy incoming Patriot missile.

One of the objectives of the drill is to facilitate the rapid deployment of US missile defense systems to Israel and test their ability to operate in conjunction with Israeli defense systems during a conflict.

The talk of a possible Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear program continues, and on Tuesday Foreign Policy quoted an unnamed source who said that one option being discussed is “a joint U.S.-Israeli surgical strike targeting Iranian enrichment facilities.”

The IDF Spokesman emphasizes the joint drill was planned long ago and is not related to the news of the week, telling the Post that “the US and Israel hold regular joint exercises between the militaries.” The IDF also insists that the drill is “unrelated to any pinpoint developments in the region.”

Coincidence or not, simultaneously on October 21, the Israeli Home Front Command is holding a nation-wide emergency drill testing rescue services’ response to an earthquake. That exercise is called “Turning Point 6,” in which – as Yediot Aharonot reports – Home Front forces will be drilled, along with police and emergency medical services, simulating their response to an earthquake. Though incoming missiles are not the main focus of that exercise, the paper reports that rescue services’ procedure when responding to buildings damaged by earthquakes and incoming missiles is similar.

Military sources tell Yediot “There is no connection between the two exercises, the overlapping date is coincidental.” [Hebrew link].

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Comments (28)

dmerwin
Posted on October 10, 2012 at 8:37pm
The next mission may not be a drill. Just sayin’.

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maggiegrace
Posted on October 10, 2012 at 4:10pm
PRAY! PRAY! PRAY! for Israel / for her protection from her enemies…Psalm 83
PRAY ! PRAY! Pray! for USA & a new leader who has Israel’s back…ROMNEY must win!

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- realindependent
  Posted on October 10, 2012 at 5:19pm
  Wait Wait hold the presses. Obama’s government helping Israel protect itself. I was told by every right wing website, Fox news, and right wing talk radio that this president hates Israel and love the Muslims.
  
  This headline must be a mistake.
  
  Oh wait it is rogue members of the military doing this on their own without instructions from the Clinton State Dept and the White House. Yeah that’s it. Obama is leading from behind again….
  
  Blah Blah Blah right wing talking points. Romney the Mormon who baptizes Jews after they are dead is the only one who can help Israel. I got it now. Thanks blaze for helping clarify this for me.
  
  Report this comment
- riseandshine
  Posted on October 10, 2012 at 11:19pm
  Ugh.
  
  Report this comment
KidCharlemagne
Posted on October 10, 2012 at 3:08pm
Looks like World War III has been delayed until early 2013….

Amazing how an Israeli election held 8 months (virtually guaranteeing Netanyahu’s re-election) early might coincide with a Romney inauguration in mid January:

——————————————–
Netanyahu calls for early elections ‘as soon as possible’
By GIL HOFFMAN
10/09/2012 22:58

Prime Minister announces elections must be held soon as current Knesset will not be able to pass responsible budget; earliest possible date for vote is three months after dissolution of Knesset.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu ignited an expedited election campaign Tuesday night when he called for early elections to take place.

In a statement delivered at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said that after completing a round of meetings with his coalition partners, he concluded he could not pass the 2013 state budget and has no choice but to initiate elections.

Netanyahu did not provide an election date and he was vague about the timing. The earliest possible election date by law would be January 15 – three months after the Knesset resumes next Monday – while the first date that would be four years after the last election would be February 12.
http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=287176

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kruzer_mike
Posted on October 10, 2012 at 2:57pm
I’m sure that in the event that the training exercise should turn into the real thing, the Administration will pull our people out saying that we only agreed to the exercise. “You don’t need that many people just like in Ben Ghazi”…. just like Ambassador Stevens all over again. One thing Obama has proved…America will not come to the aid of a long time ally….especially if it’s Israel. We have alientated everyone we could count on including Canada over the Keystone Pipeline issue….

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Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on October 10, 2012 at 2:10pm
“largest ever” could simply mean a canoe and an extra handful of pebbles to throw at ducks, since that is the sum of obama’s tactical experience with a navy. And- oh what a wonderful opportunity to manufacture a crisis to exploit 2 weeks before election.

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Fubared
Posted on October 10, 2012 at 1:58pm
Whoooeeee! Can’t wait to read the antisemetic rants from the jerk and jerk jr/tech. Who cares if its a vote ploy- the resident nazis are twitching and fuming. Hahaha. Or the obligatory jihad jerk lalalalala.

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Nanaswords
Posted on October 10, 2012 at 1:49pm
Pres. O. not meeting with Netanyahu a few weeks back ! Cut-back on men and equipment for this “practice” ! Who is pulling our Pres. strings in the W.H. ??? Can not be Israel…after this report coming out !!! Our Lybia A. Stevens and his three basic men are not getting any response from our W.H. staff in their mid-east murders !!! More Prayer as to this next 25 days…for U.S.A. and Israel !!!

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BLACKDIAMONDSKIER
Posted on October 10, 2012 at 12:10pm
President Obama might be calling his buddies in the Muslim Brotherhood to try and smooth things over. His buddies say Israel should be “wiped off the map.” They surely will not be happy about this so called joint effort with the U.S. to help bolster Israel’s defense.

What a tangled web that has been woven. The whole administration seems to be getting all tangled up in it. The wheels are about to fall off the wagon. Even the State Department is beginning to distance themselves from the White House which is very telling. Keep running ads about Big Bird and pray the American people will be distracted by it. It’s just that those wheels are getting awfully wobbly. People are about to jump and when they do…….they will be trying to salvage their own future. Not the dim hopes of a failing administration.

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PurrrpleMtnMajesty
Posted on October 10, 2012 at 11:53am
This is for votes, nothing more.
The Drill is a waste of our military’s time as they will not be carrying it out if necessary,
unless they go rogue. It’s a lie. He doesn’t back Israel. Wake up people, it’s all for SHOW.
Nothing to see here…move along

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moreteaplease
Posted on October 10, 2012 at 11:49am
So many angles to this. So this will happen somewhere around the 24th? Peculiar timing.

I just have a feeling that this could be the opening moves to “the grand finale “.

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John 3:16
Posted on October 10, 2012 at 11:28am
This doesn’t sound good, Big Bird’s Revenge?

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thegreatcarnac
Posted on October 10, 2012 at 11:24am
Before these joint exercises take place obama will cancel them or scale them back. If I were the Israelis.., I would be afraid that obama would be turning some of my military secrets to the arabs. He did that with the Brits..he gave theirs to the Russians…(look it up).

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Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on October 10, 2012 at 11:12am
So much crisis to manufacture and exploit – so little time –

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- PurrrpleMtnMajesty
  Posted on October 10, 2012 at 1:46pm
  Exactly, this is a HUGE facade.
  I’m even angry because to me, it’s like offering hope to a seriously ill person that
  you have zero intention of helping and in fact are exploiting them for your gain.
  
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john vincent
Posted on October 10, 2012 at 11:10am
This reeks of an election chess move. The timing of this is entirely and justifiably dubious. But the Israelis will no doubt welcome this help whoever is president, as it would appear to be a show of solidarity, but Obama needs an image of American strength, since his strength is at an all time low.

The danger will then be: other countries will make equal moves of Iranian support; this will start slowly, but the escalation will no doubt turn into an all out war. The problem will then be that the Americans will have trouble following orders from the Israelis, ie, Obama under Netanyahu??

One can only hope that the chess pieces are held in check until the US election; a strike before that would be catastrophic; who knows what tactics the Obama regime will employ to suspend what is inevitable- Obamas walking papers.

Either way, God bless Israel.

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RANGER1965
Posted on October 10, 2012 at 11:00am
Wow…talk about an October surprise!

Imagine if right before the election instead of an exercise this turned into a combined air-naval assault on every possible nuclear site all across Iran. Then with our Air Force in Israel it would be problematic to retaliate, we would also be there to helpd defend against the various retaliatory strikes from Iran and other sympathetic nations that would be sure to occur over the next few weeks.

Obama would earn a ton of credit from Jewish voters especially in Florida, and with a few kind words from Bibi he would be seen as a champion of Israel.
It would also earn him some credit from American voters that think he’s a puss in Foreign policy.

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kickagrandma
Posted on October 10, 2012 at 10:53am
Best news we’ve had in a long, long, long time.

GOD BLESS HIS COUNTRIES and HIS KIDS.

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kat747
Posted on October 10, 2012 at 10:47am
The best part of the drill will be when you hear one of Israeli officers say, “OOPS”.

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Individualism
Posted on October 10, 2012 at 10:47am
get ready to boycott them to save your troops lives.

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- Fubared
  Posted on October 10, 2012 at 2:41pm
  Nope. Never happen. Do more bath salts and read your Koran.
  
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- Fubared
  Posted on October 10, 2012 at 3:15pm
  Actually windy, what would Paul’s Johnson do with nuclear jihad? What? Ky and cheek spreading only works at OWS camp. If you sober up a little, think on it. Don’t hurt yourself, but try to be rational and use our language.
  
  Report this comment
- Individualism
  Posted on October 10, 2012 at 5:33pm
  nuclear jihad doesn’t exist its just white racist crusader propaganda.
  
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woodyee
Posted on October 10, 2012 at 10:46am
Gaybama will still be president on the 21st, thus, my gut tells me this could be a Trojan Horse, aimed at preventing the IDF from doing what it MUST against Iranian nuke facilities.

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- AJAYW
  Posted on October 10, 2012 at 11:02am
  Agree
  
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- maggiegrace
  Posted on October 10, 2012 at 4:06pm
  PRAY! PRAY! PRAY! for Israel & protection from the enemy …from all directions! Psalm 83. THANKS!
  
  Report this comment
ChiefGeorge
Posted on October 10, 2012 at 10:44am
We still have military agreements with Israel? Huh!

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