audi Arabia concludes military drill with Red Sea countries, raises combat readiness

Saudi Arabia’s defense units have concluded a joint military drill with Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, the official Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.

Titled the ‘Red Wave-5,’ maneuver of the Western fleet, the task was led by the Royal Saudi Naval Forces alongside the listed Red Sea coastal countries.

“The Red Wave-5 maneuver witnessed implementing a number of combat trainings, citing the clearance of fortified sites, intrusion and live fire shooting in support of combat aircraft and helicopters to carry out tactical tasks aiming to achieve the joint task principle,” SPA reported, citing the Commander of the Western Fleet Rear Admiral Yahya bin Mohammed Asiri.

The mission, which concluded Thursday, “raised combat preparedness” and contributed to “upgrading the security abilities to protect the seas and regional and international water passages and guarantee maritime navigation in the Red Sea,” according to the SPA report.

Early in March, the Royal Saudi Air Force and its United States counterpart held a series of joint exercises, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

The Saudi Air Force took part in the drill with F-15 C/SA jets while the US Air Force brought the F-16 and F-18 fighters.

The joint venture helped in “developing their capabilities” and in “raising efficiency and enhancing cooperation to face challenges,” SPA reported.