US and Israeli AC-12 Air Defence Exercise

18/10/2012 by Paul Fiddian - Armed Forces International's Lead Reporter

US and Israeli warfighters are set to launch the two nations' largest combined military exercise to date in coming days.

The joint US/Israeli armed forces exercise will focus on simulated air defence operations and no less than 4,500 service personnel are set to participate, over two-thirds of them from the United States.

The result of months of planning, the US/Israeli military drill coincides with a recent rise in tensions between the US and Iran and, of course, the upcoming Presidential elections.

US and Israeli Exercise

According to defence officials, the US and Israeli exercise will see several advanced military technologies make their operational debuts. These will include the Iron Dome all-weather air defence system, intended to intercept and take out incoming artillery shells and rockets fired from ranges of up to 70 kilometres. Also featured will be the Magic Wand (David's Sling) two-stage missile, which can take on cruise missiles and long-range rockets fired from up to 300 kilometres away.

"The scenario will focus on multiple areas and its goal will be to learn how to deal with various threats in the area", explained an Israeli Defense Forces representative. "The joint exercise will focus on defensive maneuvers, not on offensive actions, and is aimed at responding to threats against Israel - including rockets, mortar shells, and both short and long-range ballistic missiles."

The exercise represents the latest element of a sustained agreement between the IDF and the United States European Command (EUCOM), under which terms the two nations must train together once a year. It's named Austere Challenge 12 (AC-12) and it was actually meant to occur back in April 2012 but was moved on account of the Iran situation.

AC-12 Air Defence Exercise

The AC-12 air defence exercise is scheduled to last for three weeks, although its precise running dates haven't been released and it should culminate in a live-fire Patriot missile interception.

"AC-12 is not related to any national elections nor any perceived military tensions in the Middle East", Lieutenant General Craig A Franklin, who's leading the US forces element, told journalists on 15 October 2012.

"Anybody can get any type of message from this exercise", added his Israeli counterpart, Brigadier General Nitzan Nuriel. "The fact that we are practicing together and working together is a strong message by itself."