The United States and Israel will commence the largest-ever joint air defense drill of its kind in Israel on October 21, The Jerusalem Post reported Wednesday, October 10. On October 14, large numbers of American soldiers are expected to begin arriving in Israel, where they will set up aerial defense positions on Israeli territory and on U.S. Navy vessels off the Israeli coastline. The three-week drill, named Austere Challenge 12, will simulate various missile defense scenarios, and is expected to end with a live-fire interception of a decoy Patriot missile. One of its objectives is to facilitate the rapid deployment of U.S. missile defense systems to Israel and test their ability to operate in conjunction with Israeli defense systems during a conflict. The IDF Spokesman’s Office said Tuesday that the drill forms “another milestone in the common strategic relations between the U.S. and Israel.”