Naval forces from 13 countries completed a nine-day exercise in the Gulf aimed at helping deter terrorist activity in the marine environment, the US Fifth Fleet said on Monday. Exercise Arabian Gauntlet demonstrated the ability of the forces to counter potential mine-laying activities as well as increase interoperability between partners, the Bahrain-based fleet said in a statement.
Participants in the exercise were the United States, Britain, Australia, France, Pakistan, Bahrain and seven regional nations, it said, adding that the drill focused on air, surface and maritime security training. Marine security operations such as Arabian Gauntlet "help set the conditions for security and stability in the maritime environment," the fleet's statement said. "These operations deny international terrorists the use of the maritime environment as a venue for attack or to transport personnel, weapons or other material," it added.