Army HIMARs rocket launchers, laser-guided bombs and stealthy “low-observable” cruise missiles minus payloads.Īn exercise of this size would normally take a year or more to plan, but this came together in a matter of months, the official said, not because of an imminent threat but a window of availability.WASHINGTON: The US and Israel has launched what one US official described as the allies’ most significant joint military exercise to date, involving thousands of forces, a dozen ships and 142 aircraft, including nuclear-capable bombers. It culminates with a live-fire exercise that will expend 180,000 pounds of live munitions while simulating suppression of enemy air defenses, strategic air interdiction and electronic attack. Unlike many military drills, this one is all-domain, meaning it includes naval, land, air, space and electronic warfare exercises. But, you know, it would not surprise me if Iran sees the scale and the nature of these activities and understands what the two of us are capable of doing.”

“It’s really meant mostly to kick the tires on our ability to do things at this scale with the Israelis against a whole range of different threats. “The scale of the exercise is relevant to a whole range of scenarios, and Iran may draw certain inferences from that,” the official said. “We still have the excess capacity to be able to flex to another high priority area of responsibility and conduct an exercise on this scale.” “What we think this exercise demonstrates is we can walk and chew gum at the same time,” the senior defense official who spoke to NBC News said, citing the focus on China and the roughly 100,000 forces in Europe to support NATO and Ukraine. Central Command, said, “Juniper Oak is a Combined Joint All-Domain exercise which 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.” Michael “Erik” Kurilla, commander of U.S. ships, including a carrier strike group, and six Israeli ships will also participate. military, including four B-52 bombers, four F-35 fighter jets, 45 F/A-18 Hornet fighters and two MQ-9 Reaper drones. personnel have joined 1,100 Israeli personnel for the exercise, which will employ 142 total aircraft.

Mossad training exercises