The IDF and the US Marine Corps recently completed a joint exercise in southern Israel, Israel’s Channel 2 reported Thursday.
Code-named Noble Shirley 2016, this drill was the latest in a series of routine bilateral training exercises seeking to improve collaboration and interoperability between the Israeli and American forces.
The live-fire training drill, held last week, involved the Marines’ Battalion Landing Team, 6th Marine Regiment and 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, which coordinated with Israeli ground, air and naval forces, including Israel’s elite Naval Commandos.
Special emphasis was placed on urban warfare and counterterrorism, Israel Channel 2 said, adding that US troops were utilizing IDF counterterrorism expertise in the war on Islamic State (ISIS) in the Middle East. An elite unit in the IDF is closely monitoring the use of chemical weapons in Syria. With reports of ISIS moving chemical weapons into Syria, the IDF is gearing up and training for possible attacks.
The soldiers have already begun preparing for possible attacks with classified complex training exercises.
As part of the exercise, troops performed urban and tunnel warfare tasks, drilled helicopter landings behind enemy lines and simulated extractions under fire. Various tactical formations, including by military medical personnel, were also among the scenarios included in the exercise.
The drill also included a scenario in which Israel was subjected to Hezbollah and Iranian missile salvos, which sought to test real-time integration of Israeli and Americans missile defense systems. Israeli defense officials used American radar systems deployed across the Middle East, as well as a satellite system capable of alerting of missile launches across the globe.
Israel’s David’s Sling medium- to long-range missile defense system was also deployed as part of the exercise.
“The test demonstrated the United States’ commitment for the protection of Israel as well as the interoperability between the United States and Israeli integrated defense system architecture,” the Defense Ministry stated after the drill.
Israel and the US have been collaborating in recent years in the development of anti-missile defense systems, and in June the US House of Representatives passed an appropriations measure to increase the financial help to Israel defense technology, measure who was opposed by the White House and president Obama.
Earlier:
The Israeli Missile Defense Organization (IMDO) in conjunction with the United States Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and the United States European Command (EUCOM) successfully conducted an Integrated Ground Test which ended on June 22nd.
The exercise validated and successfully tested the combined United States and Israeli Missile Defense integrated systems for Israel’s missile defense.
The test was carried out by Elisra, a subsidiary of Israel’s Elbit Systems.
The integrated architecture consisted of the Israeli Arrow Weapons System using Arrow-2 and Arrow-3 interceptors, and the David’s Sling Weapon System inter-operating with the US assets consisting of Command and Control elements, Aegis ships, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) and Patriot missile defense systems. Israel has also deployed its Arrow system for longer-range threats from Iran.
The various systems provided a multi-layered defense from a variety of missiles of different payloads and ranges.
The scenarios simulated during the drill consisted of multiple missile and rocket attacks against Israel, with both US and Israeli defense system successfully employing, engaging and destroying the simulated incoming threats.
Israel and the US have been collaborating in recent years in the development of anti-missile defense systems