On May 2, the U.S. 5th Fleet hosted Qatar’s top naval officer at the U.S. Naval Base in Bahrain, demonstrating the strengthening of ties between U.S. and Qatari maritime forces.
Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, Commander of the U.S. Navy’s Central Command, U.S. 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), invited the Qatari Emiri Naval Commander, Rear Admiral Abdullah Hassan Al Sulaiti, and other senior Qatari officials. Welcomed for discussion on regional issues. Maritime security cooperation.
“We deeply appreciate this opportunity to welcome our Qatari partners to the U.S. 5th Fleet Headquarters here in Bahrain,” Cooper said. “Strengthening and expanding maritime cooperation with the Qatari Emiri Navy is essential for regional security and stability.”
Qatar is one of the 38 countries that make up the CMF, the world’s largest multinational naval partnership. The organization is co-located with the U.S. 5th Fleet Headquarters.
During their visit, Qatari military officials met with U.S. 5th Fleet officials and attended a briefing on new unmanned systems that the U.S. Navy has recently integrated into regional operations.
The talks in Bahrain came on the heels of Cooper’s day-long visit to Qatar, where he met with Salem bin Hamad bin Aqeel al-Nabit, Qatar’s military chief of staff, near Doha.
The U.S. 5th Fleet’s area of operations encompasses approximately 2.5 million square miles of water, including three important choke points: the Arabian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, the Red Sea, parts of the Indian Ocean, the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal, and the Straits of Iran. is included. Bab al-Mandeb.