The US, French and British navies have launched anti-mine exercises off Bahrain in support of the free movement of trade in Gulf waters, a military spokeswoman said Monday (April 15th).
"As mines threaten maritime traffic indiscriminately, the US, France and UK are dedicated to conducting tactical training to counter the risk of mines in order to support the continued free flow of commerce and freedom of navigation in this critical region," said the US 5th Fleet, which is based in Bahrain.
The archipelago is also home to a permanent British military base.
The exercise is "purely defensive", US Navy spokeswoman Lt. Chloe Morgan told AFP.
