Gulf Shield 01 exercise is taking place now in United Arab Emirates territory and in international waters near key oil shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz. Forces from France, the UAE and Qatar began their first joint war games on February 23, through March 5, 2008, with combined operations to include attacks on a large fictitious hostile island in the Gulf that threatens the UAE and Qatar, so the French intervene in the framework of defense pacts to protect these two countries.
The exercise, led by French Vice Admiral Jacques Mazars, will involve 1,500 French, six warships including a French aircraft carrier, plus 40 aircraft, and dozens of armored vehicles. Sources report that a number of the advanced French Rafale B will fly in Gulf skies for the first time.
The exercises involve 2,500 UAE, and 1,300 Qatari troops operating on land, at sea, and in the air. Saudi army is not directly participating in the maneuver, Saudi has permitted some of the air and naval movements to take place in the kingdom’s territorial waters and over its air space.
Objectives of the maneuver are to practice repulsing marine landings by sea on the Gulf participants’ shores, a simulated Iranian attack on oil platforms, and missile attacks from the east. Joint force is also drilling tactics to defend oil and gas fields and oil port. Some of the participating French units will stay on as the vanguard of the 400-strong contingent to permanently man the new French base under construction in Abu Dhabi opposite the Strait of Hormuz.
France and the UAE signed a reciprocal defense accord in 1995, in which their armed forces chiefs meet once a year, and their army troops conduct around 25 joint maneuvers per year. This exercise will be the largest yet, and will be the first combined air, land, and sea operation.France has long been the main arms supplier to the UAE, and has had troops in the UAE for years, but now France will have a permanent base. French arms sales include the Mirage 2000-9 Jet Fighter, AMX-30 Leclerc Main Battle Tanks, and a large variety of Eurocopter Helicopters; France also trains officers from the region, and will open a branch of its Saint Cyr military academy in Qatar .
Other than the US and Kuwait, this is the first exercise at the Arabian Gulf without the US in many years .The United States has about 40,000 U.S. troops on bases across the Gulf. The British military also has a small presence in the Gulf, the British Royal Air Force operates out of "Al Udeid" in Bahrain, and al Sayleyah is a U.S. air force base in Qatar
This joint military drills under the name "Gulf Shield 01 Exercise;" is taking place in the shadow of the crisis over neighboring Iran's nuclear program, but officials from the participating nations denied any link between the exercises and its large neighbor across the Gulf, and said that the war games had been planned for a year and had not been linked to Iran.
See the Issue blog newspaper
The exercise, led by French Vice Admiral Jacques Mazars, will involve 1,500 French, six warships including a French aircraft carrier, plus 40 aircraft, and dozens of armored vehicles. Sources report that a number of the advanced French Rafale B will fly in Gulf skies for the first time.
The exercises involve 2,500 UAE, and 1,300 Qatari troops operating on land, at sea, and in the air. Saudi army is not directly participating in the maneuver, Saudi has permitted some of the air and naval movements to take place in the kingdom’s territorial waters and over its air space.
Objectives of the maneuver are to practice repulsing marine landings by sea on the Gulf participants’ shores, a simulated Iranian attack on oil platforms, and missile attacks from the east. Joint force is also drilling tactics to defend oil and gas fields and oil port. Some of the participating French units will stay on as the vanguard of the 400-strong contingent to permanently man the new French base under construction in Abu Dhabi opposite the Strait of Hormuz.
France and the UAE signed a reciprocal defense accord in 1995, in which their armed forces chiefs meet once a year, and their army troops conduct around 25 joint maneuvers per year. This exercise will be the largest yet, and will be the first combined air, land, and sea operation.France has long been the main arms supplier to the UAE, and has had troops in the UAE for years, but now France will have a permanent base. French arms sales include the Mirage 2000-9 Jet Fighter, AMX-30 Leclerc Main Battle Tanks, and a large variety of Eurocopter Helicopters; France also trains officers from the region, and will open a branch of its Saint Cyr military academy in Qatar .
Other than the US and Kuwait, this is the first exercise at the Arabian Gulf without the US in many years .The United States has about 40,000 U.S. troops on bases across the Gulf. The British military also has a small presence in the Gulf, the British Royal Air Force operates out of "Al Udeid" in Bahrain, and al Sayleyah is a U.S. air force base in Qatar
This joint military drills under the name "Gulf Shield 01 Exercise;" is taking place in the shadow of the crisis over neighboring Iran's nuclear program, but officials from the participating nations denied any link between the exercises and its large neighbor across the Gulf, and said that the war games had been planned for a year and had not been linked to Iran.
See the Issue blog newspaper
ليست هناك تعليقات:
إرسال تعليق