Photo: Israel – American exercise reaches its peak with actual Patriot launchings

David Cenciotti
2 Min Read

It was dubbed “the most advanced combat lab in the world for active defense”.

Indeed, it’s an exercise which simulates a wide variety of missile attacks on Israel and the interception of those threats by means of PAC-2 16 Patriot missiles.

Actual launchings are quite rare. Missiles cost a lot, you need dummy targets to hit and reserve wide chunks of airspace to the activity. Hence these rare opportunities to engage enemy planes and barriages of missiles are extremely important to refine tactics and validate weapon systems.

Both the older and the latest versions of the Patriot advanced systems will practice interceptions.

Alongside the Israeli, an American Patriot division has deployed to Israel for the drills.

“In an advanced simulation, all the operational missile interception systems were grouped together: Israeli and American Patriot batteries, the “Arrow” system, Iron Dome and AEGIS ships. In addition, an American Patriot battalion back in the U.S participated in the simulation from afar and even practiced alongside the Israeli forces,” says the press release published on the Israeli Air Force website.

In case of attack on Iran a subsequent rain of missile in retaliation is expected. Better be prepared for it.

Image credit: IAF

 

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David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.
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