More than 140 aircraft, 12 ships taking part in US-Israel live-fire exercise
Middle East, News, US January 26, 2023 1 Comment on More than 140 aircraft, 12 ships taking part in US-Israel live-fire exerciseUnited States Central Command (CENTCOM) and the Israel Defense Forces are conducting a bilateral live-fire Juniper Oak Exercise on the land and the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
More than 140 aircraft including B-52 strategic bombers, F-35, F-15, F-16, FA-18 fighter jets, AC-130 gunship aircraft, and AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, as well as High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, and Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS), are taking part in Juniper Oak Exercise.
In addition, 12 naval vessels including an aircraft carrier strike group led by the USS George H.W. Bush are participating in the large-scale joint exercise in the Middle East.
A senior U.S. defense official said that about 6,400 United States military personnel and more than 1,100 members of the Israel Defense Forces are also taking part in the Juniper Oak Exercise.
The exercise will also include U.S. special operations and infantry forces, combat search and rescue teams, strike coordination and reconnaissance, and Space Force assets. During the exercise, more than 180,000 pounds of munitions will be fired, including laser-guided bombs and rockets from four HIMARS systems.
Juniper Oak 23.2 has just begun… pic.twitter.com/DN8tVsGT3D
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) January 24, 2023
According to the U.S. CENTCOM press release, the exercise strengthens collective readiness and improves the interoperability of the U.S. and Israeli forces, and contributes to regional stability. “Exercises like Juniper Oak show that interoperability and integration represent the improved security in the region,” the press release read.
Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brigadier General Patrick Ryder said during a January 24 briefing that “It’s the largest and most significant exercise we have engaged in together and is intended to demonstrate that the U.S. commitment to Israel’s security is ironclad and enduring.”
Commander of CENTCOM General Michael Kurilla said, “Consistent with CENTCOM’s strategic approach of People, Partners, and Innovation, we are committed to strengthening military-to-military relations throughout the region.
Kurilla highlighted that the Combined Joint All-Domain exercise “improves our interoperability on land, in the air, at sea, in space, and in cyberspace with our partners, enhances our ability to respond to contingencies, and underscores our commitment to the Middle East.”
The U.S. CENTCOM commander added that “These kinds of exercises – which CENTCOM routinely conducts with our partners – develop interoperability between military forces, increase military capabilities, and are important to the security and stability of the region. The lessons learned during these exercises are exportable to our partners across the region”.
During the Juniper Oak Exercise, the U.S. and Israeli personnel will exercise both countries’ command and control capabilities, air operations in maritime surface warfare, and combat search and rescue abilities.
“U.S. and Israeli partners will also work together to enhance interoperability on the electronic attack, suppression of enemy air defenses, strike coordination and reconnaissance, and air interdiction,” according to the U.S. Department of Defense statement.
Ryder highlighted that the bilateral exercise “is not focused on defeating one adversary or threat, but rather the interoperability of U.S. and Israeli forces”.
Air Force Brigadier General Ryder said that “The United States maintains many relationships in the Middle East region with many countries. Israel is one of our closest partners in the region … this gives us the opportunity to work together to increase interoperability, to be able to respond to a variety of contingencies and threats… that should we need to operate together, we can do so seamlessly.”
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[…] recent attacks came at a time when the U.S. and Israel are conducting a large-scale live-fire Juniper Oak Exercise on the land and the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. More than 7,500 military personnel, 140 […]