JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israel and the United States are set to begin an air defense drill that will simulate a missile attack on Israel.
The largest-ever drill between the two states, known as Juniper Cobra 10, will begin Wednesday and last two weeks. It is the fifth in a series of biennial exercises, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
About 1,000 U.S. European Command personnel and a similar number of IDF personnel will participate in the exercise.
During the exercise, which will simulate long-range missile attacks on Israel from Iran, Syria and Lebanon, small numbers of U.S. forces will be temporarily deployed to a number of locations in Israel in the vicinity of civilian areas.
"This exercise is not in response to any world events," according to the IDF, which said the countries began planning the exercise a year-and-a-half ago.
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