
 
 
More than  2,000 officers and soldiers from the Israeli and American armies began a joint  military exercise on Thursday morning. The drill, titled “Juniper Cobra,” is  being conducted for the fifth time since 2001, and will focus on defensive  measures against ground-to-ground missiles. Air, land, and sea forces from both  the Israeli and United States militaries are taking part in the exercise.  
IDF  Brigadier-General Doron Gavish said the exercise would not include aggressive  maneuvers. Gavish spoke at a joint press conference with U.S. Rear Admiral John  Richardson.
Both Gavish and Richardson denied that the exercise was  connected to recent international events, including concerns of a missile threat  facing Europe and talks between Western powers and Iran over the latter  country's nuclear program. The drill “is the fifth of its kind, and has been in  the works for a year and a half. It is not in any way tied to current regional  developments,” Gavish said.
While the exercise was not planned in  response to recent threats, the lessons learned may be implemented in developing  situations, Richardson said. "This exercise is not directly related to recent  announcement about ballistic missile defense in Europe, but the lessons and the  insights that we gain from this exercise will certainly relate to developing  that capability,” he explained.
"Most importantly,” he said, “we will  advance the trust and the confidence in the relationship between our two  forces.”
Richardson: Israel Can Defend  Itself
In response to a question from the press, Richardson said he  is confident that Israel is capable of defending its citizens. Calling the IDF a  “highly capable force,” Richardson expressed confidence that the Israeli  military can handle whatever challenges it faces without outside help.