The maneuvers are part of the biannual Juniper Cobra exercises on missile defense conducted by the two allies since 2000. These are designed to integrate the two countries' missiles, radars and other systems.

The October drills follow speculation that the Americans may deploy strategic anti-ballistic missile systems in Israel after President Barack Obama scrapped Bush-era plans to locate such systems in Poland and the Czech Republic.

The administration has said it now plans to rely on naval anti-ballistic interceptor missiles deployed on warships in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean to protect the United States from missile attack, with Iran as the most likely adversary.

No U.S. official has made any mention of basing any interceptor systems in Israel. However, Poland's media reported earlier this month that Israel -- and possibly NATO ally Turkey -- was being considered as an alternative location.

Whether U.S. interceptors are deployed in Israel or not, Israel's multi-layered missile defense shield, built up over the last two decades with U.S. help, is one of the most advanced in the world.

This has altered the strategic equation in the Middle East, and as Israel senses its ability to protect itself from Iranian-led attack, analysts believe it will feel more confident about the possibility of pre-emptive strikes against Iran's nuclear program.

U.S. support for Israel's protective shield moved up a notch in 2008 when the U.S. European Command deployed a long-range X-band radar, normally used with the Americans' Theater High Altitude Area Defense system in southern Israel.

The X-band, U.S. officials said, was intended to be hooked into Israel's missile defense shield to function primarily with the Arrow-2 long-range anti-ballistic missile system, built by Israel Aerospace Industries and Chicago-based Boeing Co., to counter Iranian Shehab-3 missiles.

The U.S.-manned radar installed at Nevatim air base in the southern Negev Desert, which regularly hosts joint U.S.-Israeli air exercises, has doubled Israel's detection range.

Israel also has almost real-time access to some U.S. satellite intelligence, which is an important element of its early-warning network.

Israel says that Iran has accelerated its ballistic program, particularly with the successful test-firing of a new missile, the Sajjil 2, which is powered by solid fuel rather than the liquid fuel that propels the Shehab-3s.

Missiles with solid fuel can be launched at extremely short notice, unlike those using liquid fuel. That means the timeframe for detecting launches is critically reduced, shortening the time for mid-air interceptions.

Even without the nuclear warheads the United States and Israel say Tehran is seeking to develop, these missiles, able to carry large high-explosive payloads, could still pack a strategic punch if fired in salvoes.

But this is only part of Israel's doomsday scenario. Israel's strategic planners expect that any Iranian assault would be accompanied by rocket bombardments by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement in Lebanon and the Hamas fundamentalists in the Palestinian-ruled Gaza Strip.

Syria, Iran's key Arab ally, might also join in. It is believed to have several hundred Soviet-era Scud missiles and other rockets that could carry chemical warheads.

During Israel's 34-day war with Hezbollah in July-August 2006, Hezbollah unleashed nearly 4,000 rockets into Israel, averaging 150 a day.

Hezbollah is now believed to possess some 40,000-42,000 rockets of all calibers, compared with the 20,000 it was said to have in 2006. These include Iranian-made Zelzal-2 and Fajr-3 rockets capable of hitting Tel Aviv.

Hamas is said to have several thousand rockets, many of them supplied by Iran. It produces its own Qassam rockets, and according to Israel has now been able to extent their range so they can reach the periphery of the major urban conurbation around Tel Aviv.

In fighting earlier this year, Hamas claimed it hit the air base at Tel Nof, 16 miles from Tel Aviv. All told, 849 rockets were fired into Israel between Dec. 27 and Jan. 18.

Israel has developed a three-tier anti-missile system, with the Arrow, first deployed in 2000, aimed at taking out ballistic missiles, with shorter-range systems known as Iron Dome, built by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, and David's Sling, developed by Rafael and the U.S. Raytheon company, to counter the Hezbollah and Hamas rockets.

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