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Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSL8267247
Israel, U.S. to Hold Joint Maneuvers
[Reuters] Dan Williams - Israel and the U.S. will hold their biggest joint air-defense exercise next week, officials said, testing missile interceptors that would serve as a strategic bulwark in any future showdown with Iran. The Oct. 12-16 maneuvers, dubbed "Juniper Cobra," will be overseen by Adm. Mark Fitzgerald, chief of the U.S. Navy's Sixth Fleet. The first Juniper Cobra took place in 2001, when the Scud missiles of Saddam Hussein's Iraq menaced Israel. Now Iran and its nuclear project are seen as the main threat. American forces taking part will include 17 ships and ground personnel operating the Aegis and THAAD missile interceptors, which will be meshed with Israel's Arrow II missile-killer for computer-simulated tests, an Israeli official said on Thursday.