Jerusalem Post: US to deploy to Israel for massive drill

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http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=250249

Israel is moving forward with plans to hold the largest-ever missile defense exercise in its history this spring amid Iranian efforts to obtain nuclear weapons.

Last week, Lt.-Gen. Frank Gorenc, commander of the US’s Third Air Force based in Germany, visited Israel to finalize plans for the upcoming drill, expected to see the deployment of several thousand American soldiers in Israel.

The drill, which is unprecedented in its size, will include the establishment of US command posts in Israel and IDF command posts at EUCOM headquarters in Germany – with the ultimate goal of establishing joint task forces in the event of a large-scale conflict in the Middle East.

The US will also bring its THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) and shipbased Aegis ballistic missile defense systems to Israel to simulate the interception of missile salvos against Israel.

The American systems will work in conjunction with Israel’s missile defense systems – the Arrow, Patriot and Iron Dome.

Gorenc came to Israel for talks with Brig.-Gen. Doron Gavish, commander of the Air Force’s Air Defense Division.

He toured one of the Iron Dome batteries in the South and the Israel Test Bed lab in Holon where the IAF holds its interception simulation exercises.

The IAF is planning to deploy a fourth battery of the Iron Dome counter-rocket system in the coming months and is mulling the possibility of stationing it in Haifa to protect oil refineries located there.

The Defense Ministry has allocated a budget to manufacture an additional three Iron Dome batteries by the end of 2012. IAF operational requirements call for the deployment of about a dozen batteries along Israel’s northern and southern borders.

The IAF is also moving forward with plans to deploy Rafael’s David’s Sling missile defense system, which is designed to defend against medium-range rockets and cruise missiles. Rafael recently completed a series of successful navigation and flight tests of the David’s Sling’s interceptor and plans to hold the first interception test by mid-2012.

I'm always amused at the names given to weapons. Who comes up with those? o.O

Seems like they're preparing for Iran and planning to attack quite soon. Considering the recent sanctions signed into law, sounds like a war with Iran may begin around June this year.

And what a coincidence that the interception test will take place around the time I estimate the beginning of the war (probably be testing it against real targets lol). This should be an interesting year most definitely.

The religious right only seeks military solutions to solve this conflict.

We are dealing with Shi'ites. Propose an alternative you think will work.

ruveyn

Ba-doom tish!

They're getting ready for Armageddon.

The Iranian "religious right" thinks it's a sacred duty to "martyr" their whole country in an unprovoked nuclear exchange. Our religious right is not involved in planning the exercise, and the Iranians aren't interested in negotiations anyway!

JPost

Rumor here has it that Iran has a nuclear warship off the east coast of the US.

Does anyone know if this is true??

What defines large scale conflict in the middle east?? Thats been going on for thousands of years

Jojo

The Religious Right said the same thing about the Russians. The right told us that since Russia is intent on world domination that the only way we could defeat Russia is with an all out nuclear war.

This is a MAD situation that seems crazier to me than with US and USSR.

The United States and Russia came pretty close to eating it during the Cuban missile crisis. Thank God we had a liberal president who chose a blockade over a military strike.

Iran is stalling to get their first nuclear test done. They aren't bringing any serious offers to the table that would help resolve the situation.


It is doubtful that they have any nuclear powered ships since they would need the fuel rods for their breeder reactors. They might send ships near our east coast in a weak attempt to antagonize us in response to our carriers routinely operating in the Persian gulf, but they can't do anything without all their captains and crews collecting their virgins in a hurry. The Iranian navy doesn't have anything bigger than frigates and couldn't take on a single US carrier group, much less stand a chance against our major navy and air force bases along the east coast!

Well, it's hardly not negotiating at all.

You sound like you have the same definition of negotiating as the US and Israel have, which is complete submission to their demands.

That is why there is no negotiations.

The republicans said the same thing about Cuba. Since Fidel Castro did not immediately dismantle his nuclear missiles the United States had no other choice than to respond to Cuba with an all out nuclear first strike.