Saudi, Pakistan navy chiefs witness missile firing drill in Arabian Sea

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ISLAMABAD: Saudi and Pakistani forces continued the joint Naseem Al-Bahr 13 naval exercise in the Arabian Sea on Thursday, with Saudi F-15 aircraft participating in a missile firing drill for the first time.

Pakistani and Saudi forces started the exercise in Karachi, Pakistan, on Sunday.

On Monday the commander of the Royal Saudi Navy, Vice Admiral Fahd Bin Abdullah Al-Ghofaily, arrived in Pakistan to witness the exercise.

On Thursday, Admiral Amjad Khan Niazi, Pakistan's chief of naval staff, and Al-Ghofaily witnessed a missile firing during the drill.

“Royal Saudi Air Force F-15 aircraft participated in the missile firing [drill] for the first time,” a Pakistan Navy statement said, adding that the exercise participants had “successfully hit their targets.”

“Exercise Naseem Al-Bahr is a manifestation of the two countries' commitment to boost defense ties and combat maritime threats,” the statement added.

The two naval forces have strong relations. Pakistan trained Saudi officers and sailors during the Saudi navy’s formative years between the seventies and eighties. Many Saudi officers are graduates of the Pakistan Naval Academy in Karachi.

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