The Israeli military announced the start on 9 July of “a joint U.S. and Israeli Air Forces exercise… as part of the Juniper Oak joint exercise series”, adding: “The exercise will incorporate a number of scenarios, including long range strategic striking, the achievement of aerial superiority in the region and cyber defense in the face of a variety of threats and challenges”, in addition to “midair refueling using American tanker aircraft”. CENTCOM Commander Kurilla emphasised that “events like the Juniper Oak series demonstrate our commitment to strengthen military-to-military relations throughout the region. These exercises test our forces interoperability in multiple domains to bolster the kinds of firm partnerships we will lean on in times of crisis”.