Israeli and US naval launched a four-day maritime exercise in the Red Sea on Monday, the US Naval Forces Forces Central Command said in a statement.
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The drill, which follows the formation of a Red Sea task force in April, "is a bilateral training event between US 5th Fleet and Israeli naval forces that focuses on mission planning, maritime interdiction and other drills at sea," the US Navy's statement says.
Naval forces from Israel and the United States began a four-day maritime exercise in the Red Sea, Aug. 1.
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— U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet (@US5thFleet) August 1, 2022
According to available details, the US Navy has sent several major vessels to participate in the exercise, including the USS Nitze – a small destroyer equipped with air-to-air missiles, cruise missiles for long-range land attacks, torpedoes, and a crew of about 400; the USS Lewis B Puller – a military cargo ship capable of deploying marines and serving as a platform for troop-carrying aircraft such as the Osprey; and the USNS Matthew Perry – a logistical support vessel. They will sail alongside Israeli Navy corvettes INS Eilat and INS Keshet.
The US Fifth Fleet is headquartered in Bahrain and includes maritime forces operating in the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, parts of the Indian Ocean and three critical pinch points: the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal and the Bab al-Mandeb.
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The Red Sea task force was formed with the aim of countering weapons-smuggling networks linked to the Houthi rebels in Yemen, which operate in the Red Sea's waters, and seeks to ensure the safety of commercial vessels in the area, The National News noted.
