U.S. Navy Seizes 1,400 Assault Rifles During Illicit Weapons Interdiction December 22, 2021 — U.S. 5th Fleet ships seized approximately 1,400 AK-47 assault rifles and 226,600 rounds of ammunition from a stateless fishing vessel during a flag verification boarding in accordance with customary international law in the North Arabian Sea, Dec. 20. MORE

U.S. Navy Rescues Mariners Smuggling Illicit Drugs December 16, 2021 — U.S. Navy personnel rescued five mariners Dec. 15 after a fire caused an explosion aboard their vessel, which was smuggling illicit drugs while transiting the Gulf of Oman. MORE

USS Portland Tests High Energy Laser Weapon System in Gulf of Aden December 15, 2021 — Amphibious transport dock ship USS Portland (LPD 27) conducted a high-energy laser weapon system demonstration, Dec. 14, while sailing in the Gulf of Aden. MORE

NAVCENT Launches Saildrone in Gulf of Aqaba for Exercise Digital Horizon December 13, 2021 — U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) began operationally testing a new unmanned surface vessel (USV) in the Gulf of Aqaba, Dec. 12, as part of an initiative to integrate new unmanned systems and artificial intelligence into U.S. 5th Fleet operations. MORE

U.S. Navy Opens New Interagency Counter Narcotics Facility in Bahrain December 8, 2021 — Leaders from the U.S. Navy, U.S. Department of State, and U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony Dec. 8 at Naval Support Activity Bahrain for a new facility that will enable interagency partners to share information for countering drug trafficking in the Middle East region. MORE

U.S. Navy Ship Rescues Iranian Mariners in Gulf of Oman November 28, 2021 — A U.S. Navy vessel rescued two Iranian mariners Nov. 27 from a fishing vessel after it was adrift for eight days in the Gulf of Oman. MORE

Defense Secretary Visits USS Sentry, Unmanned Systems in Bahrain November 21, 2021 — Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III visited mine countermeasures ship USS Sentry (MCM 3) while at Naval Support Activity Bahrain, Nov. 21. MORE

U.S. Navy, Jordan Partner on New Unmanned Systems Integration November 18, 2021 — U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) briefed the head of Jordan’s navy on U.S. 5th Fleet efforts to integrate new unmanned systems during a visit to U.S. Naval Support Activity Bahrain, Nov. 18. MORE

U.S. and Regional Partners Conduct Maritime Security Exercise in Red Sea November 11, 2021 — Forces assigned to the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Israel and U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) began conducting a multilateral maritime security operations exercise in the Red Sea, Nov. 10. MORE

U.S. Navy Conducts Annual Live Fire Missile Exercise in Arabian Gulf November 7, 2021 — U.S. Navy patrol coastal ships conducted a live-fire exercise with the MK-60 Griffin guided-missile system in the Arabian Gulf, Nov. 4-6, to test crew proficiency and system functionality. MORE