Saudi Arabia concludes participation in ‘Eager Lion 2022’ exercises held in Jordan

The drill involved various combat scenarios, including the deployment of tanks, aircraft and helicopters. (SPA)
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  • Almost 4,500 troops from 30 countries take part in land, air and naval drills
  • Military exercise is one of the largest in the region

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has concluded its participation in Eager Lion 2022, one of the largest military exercises in the region, which was held in Jordan.

The 10th round of exercises, which ran from Sept. 4-15, was attended by Maj. Gen. Yousef Al-Hunaiti, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Jordanian Armed Forces, and Maj. Gen. Adel bin Mohammad Al-Balawi, head of the Saudi Armed Forces Education and Training Authority.

The event saw the participation of 30 countries, and about 1,700 US service personnel, 2,200 Jordanian troops and 591 coalition forces from partner nations.

Saudi forces took part in land, air defense and naval exercises alongside troops from other countries, with the aim of boosting combat readiness and exchanging experiences, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The final stage of the drills involved various combat scenarios, including the deployment of tanks, aircraft and helicopters.

HIGHLIGHT

• On the sidelines of the exercise, a symposium was held in which the Royal Saudi Land Forces gave a presentation on mechanisms for dealing with non-explosive ballistic missile remnants and improvised explosive devices.

On the sidelines of the exercise, a symposium was held in which the Royal Saudi Land Forces gave a presentation on mechanisms for dealing with non-explosive ballistic missile remnants and improvised explosive devices.

Eager Lion 2022, which was scheduled for 2021 but had to be postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, aims to improve interoperability among partner nations and provide a platform for the exchange of military expertise.

Last month, the Native Fury 2022 drill involving Saudi armed forces and US Marine Corps was held in Yanbu’s exercise operations area. It involved various logistics exercises logistics and live ammunition drills.

Its aim was to boost bilateral operational and logistical military planning skills and exchange experiences.

In June, the joint naval exercise Red Wave 5, led by the Kingdom’s Western Fleet, was held off Jeddah’s Red Sea coast.

The Royal Saudi Land Forces, the Royal Saudi Air Force and naval units of the Saudi Border Guard took part in the exercise alongside representatives from nations bordering the Red Sea, including Jordan, Egypt, Sudan, Djibouti and Yemen. The event was also attended by observers from Somalia.

The drill aimed to enhance military cooperation, unify concepts, raise combat preparedness and exchange experience to improve regional and international maritime security in the Red Sea and wider region.