June 27, 2023

U.S. Hosts Two Major Multilateral Maritime Engagement Forums in Middle East

MANAMA, Bahrain — The United States hosted two major multilateral meetings on maritime security with regional partners in Bahrain, June 25-26, involving nearly 200 participants who discussed opportunities for enhancing collaboration at sea.

June 26, 2023

Multilateral Maritime Security Meeting: Joint Statement from Participating Nations

MANAMA, Bahrain — The following is a joint statement from 22 nations and the Gulf Cooperation Council that participated in a maritime security meeting hosted by U.S. Naval Forces Central Command at the U.S. Navy base in Bahrain:

June 8, 2023

USAFCENT flexes air-to-ground capabilities in historic first for BTF

AL UDEID AIR BASE, Qatar — Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) aircraft joined 2 B-1B Lancers over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, along with five partner nations and other coalition forces, during a Bomber Task Force mission, June 8.

June 4, 2023

U.S., UK Navies Respond to Merchant Vessel Distress Call in Strait of Hormuz

STRAIT OF HORMUZ — United States and United Kingdom Royal Navy forces responded to a distress call from a merchant vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz, June 4, as Iranian fast-attack boats harassed the commercial ship.

June 2, 2023

55th Chief of Engineers Builds Bridges with Allied Nation Partners

When you work for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the figurative bridges you build are often just as important at the literal ones. This is true in local communities when helping people recover from natural disasters and it’s true around the world when partnering with U.S. allies to improve their defense and engineering capabilities. The 55th Chief of Engineers Lt. Gen. Scott Spellmon recently had a hand in building those bridges while visiting the Kingdom of Jordan and the State of Qatar – two long-standing U.S. allies currently working with USACE’s Transatlantic Middle East District (TAM) on defense infrastructure projects.

June 2, 2023

Exercise Intrepid Maven 23.3 Concludes in the United Arab Emirates

ABU DHABI – Intrepid Maven 23.3 concluded in the United Arab Emirates on May 22. The exercise included more than 100 U.S. Marines and Sailors, alongside partnering elements of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces, who conducted infantry-based close-quarters combat training, live-fire close-air support exercises, and expeditionary airfield operations at several training locations throughout the country.

June 2, 2023

U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Develops Total Force Deployment Dashboard to Win CENTCOM’s Innovation Oasis II Competition

TAMPA, Fla. — U.S. Central Command named U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Steven Matsunaga as the winner of its second CENTCOM Innovation Oasis competition on May 25, 2023, at CENTCOM headquarters in Tampa.

May 24, 2023

Ground crews amp up air power for rapid mobility

AL UDEID AIR BASE, Qatar — Aerospace ground equipment (AGE) is one of the first building blocks making up the pyramid aimed at the air domain and the 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron (EMXS) Airmen at Al Udeid Air Base (AUAB), Qatar, form this essential building block for Central Command’s area of responsibility (AOR).

May 24, 2023

French Warship Seizes $108 Million in Drugs during Indian Ocean Seizures

MANAMA, Bahrain — A French warship operating in support of Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 conducted four illegal drug seizures between April 19 and May 18 worth a total estimated U.S. street value of $108 million from fishing vessels transiting international waters in the Indian Ocean.

May 22, 2023

U.S.-Led Multinational Partnership Launches New Task Force for Maritime Security Training in Middle East

MANAMA, Bahrain — The U.S.-led multinational partnership, Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), established a new task force May 22 that will train partner navies and improve operational capabilities to enhance maritime security in the Middle East.