RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- Lt. Gen. Steven L. Basham, Deputy Commander U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa, who also serves as the commander for the Joint Task Force-Israel, co-led a virtual combined active defense working group with Israeli Air Defense Forces Commander, Brig. Gen. Ran Kochav (Ranko) at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
During the event, U.S. and Israeli senior military leaders reviewed regional security challenges and set priorities for the defense partnership over the coming year. The primary areas discussed were regional security challenges, missile defense, military-to-military interoperability, and COVID-19 considerations.
"The U.S. defense partnership with Israel is ironclad, and cooperation between the two militaries enables our shared competitive advantage across all domains," said Basham. "Yesterday's (virtual) conversation is just one more example of the strong relationship we share with Israel's defense force.”
The one-day event included collaboration of U.S. and Israeli military procedures and set the stage for continued military cooperation and further development of annual Juniper exercise events.
“This event is a great opportunity to discuss our combined efforts and connect our distinct military capabilities to create a safe and secure Israel for years to come,” said Brig. Gen. Kochav.