Israel, US Militaries Conduct Joint Exercise Over The Negev

The Israeli army and the US military's Central Command held a joint air exercise over the Negev desert in southern Israel last week, simulating airstrikes and combat.

The exercise, dubbed "Desert Falcon," is the latest to be conducted by the Israeli military and Middle East-based CENTCOM.

Previously, Israel’s military worked primarily with the US European Command, as Washington feared that Arab countries in the region would object to cooperation with CENTCOM if Israel did so as well.

According to Israel’s military, Israeli pilots from the 119th Squadron flying F-16 fighter jets and Gulfstream G550 intelligence-gathering aircraft flew alongside American pilots from the 55th Fighter Squadron flying F-16 aircraft.

"Israeli air teams flew 'shoulder-to-shoulder' with US teams and simulated joint responses to air threats and strikes on targets through mutual cooperation," Israel’s military said.

"The exercise represents an important step in strengthening international strategic cooperation between Israel and the US Air Force, and contributes to the preparation of our troops," the military statement continued.

Including Israel in CENTCOM allows easier direct communications between Israel's military and American troops in the region.

The Israeli Navy participated in a major CENTCOM maritime exercise in November led by the US 5th Fleet, alongside the UAE and Bahrain.