DOHA

This year’s Joint Air Defense Exercise (JADEX), a series of U.S.-Qatari military drills, kicked off Thursday at the Al-Udeid Airbase outside Qatari capital Doha.

According to a statement released by Qatar’s Defense Ministry, the exercises will test participants’ responses to simulated ballistic missile attacks.

Located some 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) southwest of Doha, Al-Udeid currently hosts roughly 13,000 U.S. military personnel, mostly from the U.S. Air Force.

The largest U.S. military facility in the region, Al-Udeid plays a central role in ongoing operations against the Daesh terrorist group in both Iraq and Syria.

In January, Washington signed a memorandum of understanding with Doha to expand the U.S. military presence at the airbase.