50-nation naval exercise concludes in Pakistan

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) – A 50-nation naval exercise led by the Pakistan Navy concluded in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday.

The "International Fleet Review" was the highlight of the five-day event's closing ceremony.

The fleet review was witnessed onboard the Pakistan Navy ship PNS "Moawin" by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who was the closing day's chief guest, and Navy Chief Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi, said a statement from the Prime Minister's Office.

The participating countries' ships and aircraft were involved in the fleet review.

Navies from 50 countries, including Türkiye, the US, and China, participated in the AMAN-2023 naval exercise.

The biennial event, which has been held since 2007, began on Friday.

Regional countries such as Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia, as well as African Union countries, took part in the event with ships, aircraft, special operations forces, marine teams, and observers.

Türkiye this year participated in the exercise at a limited level due to last Monday's massive earthquakes, which killed nearly 32,000 people.

The naval exercise, organized under the slogan "Together for Peace," was aimed at providing a forum for understanding maritime concepts and operational cultures, enhancing interoperability, and identifying ways and means to combat common threats at sea.

The previous edition, held in February 2021, included 48 countries.