Global Maritime Drill to Support Security in the Middle East Kicks Off

Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa with naval officials during the launch of IMX/CE22 at the Naval Support Activity, Bahrain. (CENTCOM)
Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa with naval officials during the launch of IMX/CE22 at the Naval Support Activity, Bahrain. (CENTCOM)
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Global Maritime Drill to Support Security in the Middle East Kicks Off

Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa with naval officials during the launch of IMX/CE22 at the Naval Support Activity, Bahrain. (CENTCOM)
Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa with naval officials during the launch of IMX/CE22 at the Naval Support Activity, Bahrain. (CENTCOM)

The International Maritime Exercise (IMX/CE22) kicked off with the participation of the Egyptian Naval Forces and the Western Joint Forces Command.

IMX/CE22 is one of the most extensive joint international maritime exercises globally and the largest in the Middle East, with the participation of 51 countries at the Joint Command Center for Training in Bahrain.

The combined training includes 9,000 personnel and 50 ships from more than 60 partner nations and international organizations operating across two regions.

It is also the largest unmanned exercise globally, with more than 80 unmanned systems from 10 nations participating.

The Egyptian military spokesman said that the training, which will last for several days, comes within the framework of the plan of the General Command of the Armed Forces to upgrade the level of forces and exchange experiences with the armed forces of brotherly and friendly countries, and support efforts for maritime security and stability in the region.

The training is expected to witness several theoretical and practical training activities to unify maritime concepts among the participating countries.

It will also include training on confronting atypical maritime threats, implementing naval security measures, securing ships carrying important cargo, and combating naval mines.

Training will also focus on enhancing capabilities in command and control, sea control, maritime security operations, medical training, and mine countermeasures.

The drill underscores the depth of the strategic partnership and the extended relations between the Egyptian Armed Forces and their counterparts from the countries participating in the training, according to the spokesman.

IMX/CE22 is the seventh iteration of IMX since its establishment in 2012 and will conclude on Feb. 17.



Israeli Military: 5 Soldiers Killed in Combat in South Lebanon

Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept rockets that were launched from Lebanon, as seen from Haifa, northern Israel, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept rockets that were launched from Lebanon, as seen from Haifa, northern Israel, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
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Israeli Military: 5 Soldiers Killed in Combat in South Lebanon

Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept rockets that were launched from Lebanon, as seen from Haifa, northern Israel, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept rockets that were launched from Lebanon, as seen from Haifa, northern Israel, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Five Israeli soldiers were killed and 16 others wounded in combat in southern Lebanon in recent weeks, the Israeli military said in a statement on Thursday.

Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem said in a speech aired Wednesday that the Lebanese group is open for ceasefire negotiations only once “the enemy stops its aggression.”

His speech marked the 40-day mourning period since former Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was assassinated in Beirut.

Hezbollah began firing into Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, in solidarity with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Since the conflict erupted, more than 3,000 people have been killed and some 13,600 wounded in Lebanon, the Health Ministry reported.