The Tehran regime has conducted a string of missile test-firings in recent months that has kept tension simmering.

There is no indication that the Iranians plan to unleash their growing arsenal of ballistic missiles -- Shehab-3s and the more advanced, solid-fueled Sajjil-2s -- but Tehran clearly wants the world to know it has the weapons on hand.

Israel is not participating in the negotiations held this month in Geneva and Vienna, and has made it clear that it has little faith in a negotiated settlement, which it suspects Tehran will use to buy time to develop nuclear warheads for its missiles.

Israel, which sees Iran's nuclear ambitions as an existential threat, has warned it could unleash pre-emptive strikes against Iran's nuclear infrastructure.

It has grudgingly gone along with U.S. President Barack Obama's diplomatic effort, but it has warned that its patience on this is limited.

Some analysts believe that the inconclusive negotiations on the nuclear issue in Vienna last week have strengthened the Israelis' suspicions about Iran's intentions and their belief in a pre-emptive operation.

The U.S.-Israeli maneuvers, Juniper Cobra 2009, began on Oct. 20, the largest such joint exercise the two allies have held.

During the three-week operation they will test four ballistic missile defense systems -- Israel's high-altitude Arrow-2 interceptor, the U.S Navy's ship-borne Aegis, the U.S. high-altitude THAAD and the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 system designed for terminal-phase ballistic missile defense.

This is the first time that all these systems have been deployed in Israel together, and the message for Tehran appears to be that if Israel is attacked, the United States will help defend its ally.

Indeed, talks are reported to be under way on the possibility of the Americans leaving several PAC-3 units behind when the exercise is concluded.

The Americans already have an advanced, long-range radar, the mobile X-Band system, deployed at Israel's Nevatim air base in the southern Negev desert. It was set up with a 100-strong American unit for the European Command in 2008.

If Iran does fire missiles at the Jewish state, Israel's military believes they will have around five minutes to launch their Arrow interceptors to hit the incoming weapons well beyond their own borders.

The X-band radar, which can detect missile launches, will give them vital extra seconds to prepare their defenses.

The exercises will help U.S. and Israeli engineers develop an advanced version of the Arrow able to hit incoming missiles in the earlier stages of their trajectory rather than after they have passed their flight apogee.

On a wider perspective, what the Americans learn from these complex exercises will help shape a NATO defense shield for Europe.

"The exercise is perhaps not indicative of a true crisis deployment," according to the U.S. security consultancy Strategic Forecasting, "but will provide important lessons for integrating U.S.-Israeli BMD systems and is certainly a show of force at a politically opportune moment."

Meantime, other layers of Israel's missile defense shield will be tested against shorter-range missiles and rockets.

These include the Iranian Zelzal-2 and Fajr-3 rockets possessed by Lebanon's Hezbollah forces on Israel's northern border and the Katyusha and Grad rockets that Palestinian Hamas militants have in the Gaza Strip on the southern border.

In the event of an Iranian missile attack, it is likely that Tehran will order short-range rocket assaults on Israel's periphery from Syria, Lebanon and Gaza as well to stretch and overwhelm Israel's defenses.

All told some 2,000 U.S. and Israeli personnel, along with several warships from the U.S. 6th Fleet, are taking part in Juniper Cobra.

The main naval unit is the USS Higgins, an 8,300-ton Aegis cruiser docked at the Israeli naval base at Haifa, a city that was hit by Hezbollah missiles during the 34-day war with Israel in July-August 2006.

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