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> U.S. and IDF troops, in major joint drill, simulating battle on 3 fronts
> Amid rising tension with Iran, Israel to join largest int’l navy exercise

A US M1 Abrams tank fires during the “Saber Strike” NATO military exercise in Adazi, Latvia, June 11, 2016.. (photo credit: REUTERS)

Israel is participating for the first time in two simultaneous large-scale international exercises in Europe, the IDF Spokesperson’s Office announced on Monday.

IDF paratroopers will participate in the Swift Response exercise, which will be held in Germany, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, with the participation of a paratroopers unit that will train with the 173rd Brigade of the European Command of the US Army.

Thousands of soldiers from 10 different countries will participate in the exercise, including Great Britain, Spain, Italy, Poland and Portugal.

Swift Response will feature airborne exercises, joint forcible entry personnel and equipment drops, air assault operations, a force buildup using a short takeoff and landing strip and noncombatant evacuation operations.

“This is the first time the IDF has participated in a international exercise of the European Command,” read the IDF statement.

“The objective of the exercise is to improve the ability for mutual cooperation between the participating armies.”

In addition to Swift Response, more IDF paratroopers will take part in European Command’s Saber Strike exercise, in which more than 18,000 fighters from 19 countries, including Poland, Germany, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, will participate.

An annual drill, the objective of this year’s Saber Strike will be to train and drill the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) enhanced forward presence with a focus on promoting interoperability and improving joint operational capability in a variety of land missions.

The exercise, which will occur in several Eastern European countries, will also drill troops on contending with air strikes and tank warfare of foreign forces.

According to the US Army, “these exercises demonstrate the command’s continued commitment to NATO allies and partners by maintaining its war-fighting edge and ability for crisis response.”

The drill will last until June 15 on NATO’s eastern flank and, according to European Command, is “a demonstration of the commitment and solidarity of the Alliance” at a time when Russia’s military maneuvers have concerned NATO members.

With Russia’s increasingly assertive maneuvers in the region, NATO’s strategic interest in the eastern Mediterranean is increasing, and in late May, the British HMS Duncan and Spanish frigate Victoria, commissioned by NATO forces, docked in Israel’s Haifa Port ahead of joint exercises with the IDF.

In December, the HMS Ocean, the flagship of the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2, docked in Haifa port before taking part in several joint exercises with the Israel Navy and Air Force.

The announcement of Israel’s participation comes shortly after NATO’s secretary- general Jens Stoltenberg told Germany’s Der Spiegel that the alliance wouldn’t come to Israel’s defense in case of attack by Iran.

Source: https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Israel-participating-in-two-large-scale-military-drills-in-Europe-559106

The post Israel participating in two large scale military drills in Europe first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

Knesset workers move to secure areas during nationwide military drill on March 13, 2018. (Yitzhak Harari/Knesset)

Warning sirens blared throughout Israel twice on Tuesday as part of a nationwide military drill testing emergency preparedness, giving Israeli citizens a chance to prepare both at work and school and then later in their homes.

The exercise, which began Sunday, is being led by the Israel Defense Force’s General Staff. It also includes a national drill by the Home Front Command, known as “Solid Stand.”

As part of the Home Front Command drill, the incoming rocket sirens sounded at 11:05 a.m. and again at 7:05 p.m. In addition to the sirens, alerts were broadcast on television, websites and the Home Front Command’s application, as well as in special beepers for people with hearing disabilities.

In the case of an actual rocket attack during the drill, the sirens would sound twice.

The army said the public should enter designated bomb shelters when the sirens sound.

Knesset workers move to secure areas during nationwide military drill on March 13, 2018. (Yitzhak Harari/Knesset)

Schools and kindergartens also took part in the morning siren exercise, with teachers taking students to protective areas. Government offices, IDF bases and public buildings also participated in the drill.

“The goal of setting off the alarms is to practice the general public having to enter bomb shelters in their workplaces and homes, as well as to check that the national siren system is in working order,” the IDF said in a statement.

The internal General Staff exercise is meant to improve communication between units of the army during war-time. Meanwhile, the Home Front Command exercise will test not only the army’s search and rescue units, but also the ability of local governments and civilian emergency services to work together in times of crisis, the army said.

Knesset workers move to secure areas during nationwide military drill on March 13, 2018. (Yitzhak Harari/Knesset)

The IDF stressed that the drill was not connected to any specific security situation, nor was it related to the ongoing Juniper Cobra missile defense exercise that the army is currently conducting with the United States.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

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Source: https://www.timesofisrael.com/warning-sirens-to-sound-throughout-israel-during-major-military-drill/

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The post Warning sirens wail throughout Israel during major military drill first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.