US, Israel ready for huge joint drill in Iran's shadow

TEL AVIV, Israel - One might call it the Armageddon scenario: a massive and coordinated missile attack on Israel from many fronts.

As the rockets rain down, only the United States can save a nation from annihilation.

And they have been warning about it long enough. Now, at last, the direst predictions will be played out.

Now for the good news. Almost all of this will take place within the safe confines of computerized simulation for three weeks starting next week.

There is no war, merely the preparation for one, and the Middle East is a place where it pays off to be prepared.

Israeli-American Operation Austere Challenge will not be cheap. The biggest ever joint Israeli-American drill of its type to be conducted throughout Israel and off-shore by the two sides comes with a combined bill of close to $40 million.

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. has pledged $30 million to the exercise and the Israelis estimated their exercise costs at 30 million shekels -- around $7.9 million.

The drill will involve some 3,500 U.S. personnel, with around 1,000 troops deployed in theater, along with a navy cruiser to serve as the control center, and Patriot missile defense batteries.
Together the two sides will find out if their command systems and computer codes are compatible.

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