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| US-Israel Launches Massive Joint Military Exercises Deploys Bombers And Hundreds Of Fighter |
International Military - The United States (US) and Israel have launched what a US official described as the most significant joint military drills by the allies to date. As reported by Reuters, the war games will involve thousands of troops, a dozen ships and 142 aircraft.
The types of aircraft deployed in the exercise include nuclear capable bombers. "Juniper Oak", which will last until Friday (27/1/2023), is intended to demonstrate and deepen integration between the US and Israeli militaries, a senior US defense official said.
The exercise comes at a time of heightened tension over Iran's nuclear program. While the drills are likely to attract interest from Tehran, the US official said there would be no mock-ups of Iranian targets and that the drills were not enemy-oriented.
"I think the scale of the exercise is relevant to various scenarios, and Iran can draw certain conclusions from that," the official explained. "This is really meant to test our ability to do things on this scale with Israel against a wide variety of different threats," he continued.
The drills will include live-fire drills and involve 6,400 US troops, many of whom will be aboard the US aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush. "About 450 troops are on the ground in Israel," the official said.
Beyond the B-52 bomber, US aircraft will include the F-35, F-15, F-16, and F-18. "The drills will take place remotely, involving land, sea, air and space," the official said.