The IDF Ground Forces and US Marine Corps Forces Central Command (MARCENT) troops completed a two-week-long multi-force training exercise conducted in Israel.
התרגיל המשותף של כוחות MARCENT בהובלת זרוע היבשה ובהשתתפות חיל הנחתים האמריקאי (המארינס) הגיע לסיומו >> https://t.co/oHOTk0kIZ2 pic.twitter.com/prt4XLUZAB
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline)
The US Marines trained alongside IDF troops with an emphasis on open and urban field combat. The exercise included 500 US Marines staging a beach-storming drill in Eilat.
“The exercise was another step in a collaboration between the IDF and MARCENT under the CENTCOM,” the IDF stated.
Headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, MARCENT is designated as the Marine Corps service component for US Central Command (CENTCOM).
“This exercise is part of the next chapter in the U.S. Navy’s and Marine Corps’ long-standing relationship with Israel that is so vital to stability and security in the region,” said Brig. Gen. Farrell Sullivan, commander of the Marine task force.
In addition to the training, annual staff talks with the Marines led by IDF Brigadier General Guy Levy resulted in a joint-cooperation plan for 2022.
This Israeli-US collaboration is the latest in a series of multi-branched exercises between the two militaries.
Israeli, US, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahraini naval forces launched a multilateral maritime security operations exercise in the Red Sea on Wednesday, under the auspices of US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT).
On Thursday, IDF F-15 fighter jets escorted two American B-1B bombers and an American KC-10 refueler through Israeli skies on their way from the Gulf.
In September, the Israeli Navy held a joint exercise with the US Fifth Fleet for the first time in history.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) is responsible for the Middle East, including Iran. The IDF was transferred to CENTCOM from EUCOM in January 2021 after the signing of the Abraham Accords with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.