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The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) this week joined the US, UAE and Bahrain in their first joint navy military exercise, which has been viewed as a message to Iran and its regional ambitions. The five-day exercise began on Wednesday in the Red Sea and aims to enhance maritime and military cooperation.
The US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) announced the beginning of the drill in a statement, underlining that the “training will enhance interoperability between participating forces’ maritime interdiction teams”.
Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of NAVCENT, US 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces, said: “It is exciting to see US forces training with regional partners to enhance our collective maritime security capabilities. Maritime collaboration helps safeguard freedom of navigation and the free flow of trade, which are essential to regional security and stability”.
Also on Thursday, Israeli Air Force F-15s escorted two US B-1B strategic heavy bombers and a KC-10 refueler over Israeli airspace on their way to the Gulf – the second such flight in two weeks. An IDF statement said it was “a significant step in maintaining the security of the skies of the State of Israel and the Middle East”.
