During the course of the exercise which lasted several weeks, anti-aircraft defence missiles were fired while Patriot missile systems were placed at a number of sites across Israel.

"The exercise had been planned during the last two years and was part of a routine series of exercises meant to examine the joint operation of the defence systems of both nations," said the spokesman.

Israel is the United States' closest ally in the Middle East and the two countries' militaries regularly hold joint exercises.

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