NAVCENT Begins IMX 22 Main Planning Conference

MANAMA, Bahrain – U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) opened the main planning conference for International Maritime Exercise (IMX) 22 in Manama, Bahrain, Aug. 16.

During the conference, virtual participants and 100 in-person attendees from 21 nations are meeting to collaborate and plan exercise details. Planners will develop training scenarios, determine what assets will be needed and identify additional considerations for the exercise’s final planning conference later this year.

"Our strength is in our collective partnership that we share with all of you," said Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT), U.S. 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), to in-person participants and the virtual audience during opening remarks. "With more than 100 people from 21 nations, I think that together we represent the ability to really design and execute the most robust exercise we have seen in this region."

IMX 22 is designed to demonstrate global resolve to maintain freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce throughout the region’s diverse maritime environment, and to build interoperability between partner nations and international organizations.

“Planning this exercise for successful execution ensures that our commanders’ forces are ready when the time comes to respond to any challenges we may face in the maritime environment,” said Cmdr. Kenyatta Martin, NAVCENT’s lead IMX 22 planner.

IMX 22 is scheduled to begin in late January and will run for approximately two weeks.
The U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations encompasses nearly 2.5 million square miles of water area and includes the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean. The region is comprised of 20 countries and includes three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal and the Strait of Bab-al-Mandeb at the southern tip of Yemen.