Israel and NAVCENT Conduct Bilateral Amphibious Exercise

NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY, BAHRAIN -- The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) and U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) began conducting a bilateral amphibious exercise in Eilat, Israel, Nov. 1.

The exercise includes military operations in urban terrain, infantry live-fire training, High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) live-fire and rapid maneuvering training, as well as professional exchanges on various topics including engineering, medical and explosive ordinance disposal.

NAVCENT Task Force 51/5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade is leading U.S. participation in the three-week exercise.

“This exercise is part of the the next chapter in the U.S. Navy’s and Marine Corps’ longstanding relationship with Israel that is so vital to stability and security in the region,” said Brig. Gen. Farrell Sullivan, commanding general of the task force.

Participating U.S. forces include approximately 500 personnel from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, including one logistics battalion detachment, one infantry rifle company, a light armored reconnaissance company, and a HIMARS platoon.

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, parts of the Indian Ocean and three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal and the Strait of Bab-al-Mandeb. With Israel’s addition, the region is now comprised of 21 countries. – NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY, BAHRAIN