Once again Israel and the United States are taking part in a joint military exercise, which also involves the US European Command. The training event began on Sunday, 12 Adar I involving over 1,700 US troops and civilians who arrived to be a part of Juniper Cobra 16, a biennial event.

The IDF Spokesman reports the exercise serves to improve cooperation and coordination as well as boosting ballistic missile defense capabilities.

US Major-General Mark Loeben, the director of Exercises & Assessments at EUCOM Headquarters said, “Support for Israel’s defense has been an integral part of US policy in the region for decades, and this exercise has, and will continue, to directly support that policy.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)