The International Maritime Exercise 2019 (IMX 19), a multinational exercise featuring assets and personnel from more than 50 partner nations and seven international organisations, has begun on Monday (October 21st) in the US 5th Fleet area of operations.
The exercise will span from the Suez Canal south to Bab al-Mandeb, through the Strait of Hormuz and into the Northern Arabian Gulf, the US Naval Forces Central Command reported.
It consists of four phases including staff training, table-top and classroom exercises, fleet training exercise (FTX), and force redeployment.
This is the sixth iteration of IMX since 2012 and will be the most dynamic one to date, said Vice Admiral Jim Malloy, commander of the US Naval Forces Central Command.
"This year’s iteration is the largest yet, expanding in size and geography," he said. "We have grown participation by about 20 nations, are covering an unprecedented amount of ground in the region, and our multinational team is taking part in more training scenarios than ever before."
"IMX is an important demonstration of global commitment to freedom of navigation and the free flow of maritime commerce in this region," said Malloy. "Stability and security in the maritime domain is a shared goal of all nations."
