Thursday evening marked the conclusion of the Juniper Oak 23.2 joint exercise of the IDF and the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) conducted in Israel and the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. CENTCOM covers the Middle East.
The Israel Air Force said approximately 6,500 U.S. Armed Forces officers and soldiers took part in this exercise, which was the largest ever performed by the U.S. Armed Forces. The exercise showcased some of the most advanced capabilities of the militaries and is the first in a series of exercises to be held in 2023.
The exercise included a large-scale live fire event with over 140 aircraft including B52s, F35s, F15s, F16s, FA-18s, AC-130, AH64s, 12 naval vessels, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, and Multiple Launch Rocket Systems.
The 2 militaries said that this exercise strengthened collective US-Israeli readiness and “improves the interoperability of both forces, thereby contributing to regional stability as well as target strikes and training in complex terrain while integrating joint communications and command and control systems.”
