Barak Ravid
Axios, July 20, 2022
“CENTCOM’s commitment to the region is ironclad. … This region is at the center of America’s strategic competition with Russia and China.”
Integrated air and missile defense in the Middle East with Israeli participation is “a priority” for the U.S., Gen. Michael Kurilla, the head of the U.S. Central Command, told Axios after a visit to the region.
Why it matters: Missile and drone attacks by Iran and its proxies have become the main threat to the U.S., Israel and Arab countries in the region.
- The Biden administration wants to enhance cooperation between these countries to counter the threat through integrating their early warning, intelligence and interception capabilities.
Driving the news: Kurilla visited Israel on Sunday after making stops in Jordan and Syria. It was his second visit to Israel in two months and his fifth trip to the region since becoming CENTCOM commander earlier this year.
- Kurilla met with Defense Minister Benny Gantz and IDF chief of staff Aviv Kochavi and discussed their shared security concerns. But he focused on Israel’s air and missile defense systems and the threat from sophisticated unmanned aerial systems and ballistic missiles.
- Kurilla stressed that integrated air and missile defense remains a goal for CENTCOM and U.S. partners in the Middle East. “This is critical to defending our forces, our partners, and our interests. It is a clear priority, one we discussed during our engagements in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem,” he said.