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48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

The Flags of Israel and the United States wave above a camp for U.S. service members supporting exercise Juniper Cobra at an Israeli Defense Force site Feb 23. Operating cohesively, U.S. and IDF forces will deftly train over the next two weeks during Juniper Cobra 18 to increase regional security, stability and military readiness. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Tech. Sgt. Matthew Plew)

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Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Matthew Plew 

Two U.S. Air Force C-130J Super Hercules aircraft from the 37th Airlift Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, arrived in Israel last night with U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa Airmen and equipment to support Exercise Juniper Falcon 2021-2 beginning July 23 at various locations in Israel. The exercise is in accordance with long-standing bilateral agreements between U.S. European Command and the Israel Defense Forces.

This long-planned event is a continuation of JF21, which took place earlier this year. JF21-2 is designed to test simulated emergency response procedures, ballistic missile defense and crisis response assistance in the defense of Israel.

The Juniper Falcon exercise series serves as an opportunity for U.S. military personnel and the IDF to exercise together and learn from one another. JF21-2 represents another step in the deliberate and strategic relationship between the U.S. and Israel and contributes to overall regional stability. 

Despite the challenges presented by COVID-19, both the U.S. and Israel are focused on building readiness in support of the United States’ ironclad commitment to assist in the defense of Israel and are committed to the safety of our personnel, their families and the communities where activities are taking place.

The health of our personnel, partners, allies and communities where we operate remain a top priority, and we are taking appropriate health protection steps and COVID-19 mitigation measures in accordance with Department of Defense, CDC and host nation guidelines. We will continue to monitor conditions and plan operations and exercises while taking into account any potential impacts to the health and readiness of our forces and the community.

Planning for JF21-2 began in 2020, and while the exercise is driven by overall dynamics in the Middle East, it is not in response to any recent developments or specific real-world events.