Israel and the United States have agreed to postpone a major joint military drill scheduled for spring, Israeli public radio reported on Sunday, saying budgetary constraints were behind the delay.
The radio, citing military sources, reported that the exercises, codenamed “Austere Challenge 12,” would be pushed back to the end of 2012.
Despite the postponement, there were no changes to a visit to Israel by top US military chief General Martin Dempsey, scheduled to arrive later this week for meetings with Defence Minister Ehud Barak and Chief of Staff Benny Gantz.
The postponed military exercises were to include thousands of American and Israeli soldiers in the largest missile defence manoeuvres ever held by the allies.