Israel:  United States Begins Deploying Patriots as Part of Joint Exercise

The United States has begun deploying about 1,000 troops and a number of Patriot missile interceptor batteries in Israel as part of a joint missile defense exercise, the London Guardian reported Saturday (see GSN, Dec. 12). 

The exercise, designed to integrate the U.S. Patriots with the Israeli Arrow missile interceptor, is scheduled to begin next week and last for two weeks, according to the Guardian.  The exercise is also expected to involve the use of a U.S. Aegis destroyer.  The U.S. forces are expected to remain once the exercise is completed to help defend Israel in the event of a U.S.-led war on Iraq, the Guardian reported.

If Iraq launches ballistic missiles against Israel, civilians will receive a seven-minute warning — twice as long as those issued during the 1991 Gulf War, according to the Israeli homefront command (see GSN, Dec. 19).  The increased warning time is the result of new satellite technology and improved missile tracking capabilities, Israeli officials said (Chris McGreal, London Guardian, Dec. 28).

For further information, see:

MDA Terminal Defense Segment

Federation of American Scientists Background on Arrow

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