Oman-led naval exercise with France, UK, US concludes
Naval forces from France, the UK and the US concluded a weeklong maritime exercise in and off the coast of Oman on 11 May.
The Omani-led five-day Khunjar Hadd aimed to boost the forces' interoperability and strengthen relationships between the participating countries.
It focused on mine countermeasures, explosive ordnance disposal, maritime interdiction and other combined naval operations.
The US 5th Fleet expeditionary mine countermeasures unit participated with crew members from the mine countermeasures ship USS Dextrous (MCM 13) and a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.
The RN's Capt Derek McKnight, deputy commander of Task Force 52, which oversees the US 5th Fleet's mine countermeasures mission in the Middle East, said: ‘Training alongside the incredible forces of Oman’s Royal Navy has been an invaluable experience for our aircraft, ships and divers.
'I have no doubt that opportunities such as this increase our effectiveness and enable us to achieve shared objectives.’
Senior officials from Oman, the UK and the US have also discussed ways to strengthen regional maritime security cooperation between their respective navies.
The US 5th Fleet’s area of operations includes the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, parts of the Indian Ocean and three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, Suez Canal and Strait of Bab al Mandeb.
More from Training
-
Royal Jordanian Air Force takes delivery of five new Bell 505 aircraft at Farnborough
The five helicopters complete an order of 10 Bell 505s placed in 2022.
-
NSPA and Airbus sign mission simulator contract for MRTT fleet at Farnborough
The A3330 MRTT simulator is expected to make simulator training easier and more regulator for both pilots and refuelling operatives.
-
Australia’s ‘Top Gun’ exercise in Top End reaches unprecedented scale in face of Chinese military build up
Fast-jet exercise focuses on interoperability and cooperation between allies amid growing regional security concerns in the Asia-Pacific region.
-
US Navy contracts for EW training flight hours awarded
The electronic warfare (EW) jets contract is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, with work scheduled to begin in August 2024 and completed in August 2029.
-
Rheinmetall receives rocket order from German armed forces for Tiger helicopters
The Tiger attack helicopter was developed for the French and German armies, prior to also being procured by Spain and Australia, with a total of 185 ordered. Germany, however, has planned to retire its 55-strong fleet.
-
How US marines and sailors trained for humanitarian assistance in Indo-Pacific region
US Marine Corps and US Navy personnel enhanced their humanitarian assistance and disaster relief capabilities during a training exercise in Papua New Guinea.