Naval Forces Conduct Exercise Leading Edge

Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Justin Thomas | CENTRAL ARABIAN GULF (Oct. 30, 2006) - French ship FS Commandant Ducuing (F 795) and HMAS Warramunga (FFH-152) participate in naval maneuvers during Exercise Leading Edge in the Arabian Gulf. Naval and law enforcement personnel from Australia, Bahrain, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States participated in the exercise. Leading Edge is the maritime portion of a two-phase, multi-national proliferation security initiative (PSI) exercise. PSI is a response to the growing challenge posed by the proliferation of WMD, their delivery systems, and related materials worldwide. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Spc. 2nd Class Justin K. Thomas.  

MANAMA, BAHRAIN

10.30.2006

Courtesy Story

U.S. Naval Forces Central Command / U.S. 5th Fleet           

U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/Commander, U.S. 5th Fleet Public Affairs Office

MANAMA, Bahrain - Naval forces and law enforcement personnel from Australia, Bahrain, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States participated in Exercise Leading Edge Oct. 30 in international waters off the northeastern coast of Bahrain.

Exercise Leading Edge is the maritime portion of a two-phase, multi-national proliferation security initiative (PSI) exercise. PSI is a response to the growing challenge posed by the proliferation of WMD, their delivery systems, and related materials worldwide. It constitutes partnerships of states working in concert, employing their national capabilities to develop a broad range of legal, diplomatic, economic, military and other tools to interdict shipments of such items on the ground, in the air and at sea.

Boarding teams from Australia, Bahrain, France, Italy, and the United States Coast Guard practiced compliant boardings aboard a target vessel, played by British ship RFA Brambleaf (A 81), simulating a commercial merchant vessel suspected of carrying WMD-related items.

"We are working absolutely together as a team," said Lt. Gennaro Vitagliano, executive officer of ITS Comandante Fosccari, as he discussed the joint efforts of the participating countries. "What we're doing today is no different than what we do every day. We'll follow the same procedures we normally do when conducting boarding operations at sea."

Other ships involved in exercise include Australian ship HMAS Warramunga (FFH 152), French ship FS Commandant Ducuing (F 795), Italian ship ITS Commandante Foscari (P 493), U.S. Coast Guard Patrol Boat Monomoy (WPB 1326), and Bahraini ships RBNS Sabha (FFG 90), RBNS Al Manama (FPBGH 50), and RBNS Al Muharraq (FPBGH 51).

William Monroe, U.S. ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain, conducted a press conference for international media immediately following the exercise. He stressed the importance of the exercise and stated how pleased he was with the overall efforts of the countries that participated.

"We're deeply appreciative that so many of our partners took part in this exercise either as full participants or as observers, and particularly note the presence of Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE from the Gulf region," he said. "Their attendance today underscores the important point that the PSI training exercise program is a truly global effort involving countries around the world, including the Gulf region."

The first phase of the PSI involved decision-making and command and control practices and techniques by participating partner nations.

Coalition forces conduct Maritime Security Operations under international maritime conventions to ensure security and safety in international waters so that all commercial shipping can operate freely while transiting the region.

This is the 25th PSI exercise since 2003 and the third in the region.

• Date Taken: 10.30.2006
• Date Posted: 10.31.2006 06:04
• Story ID: 8187
• Location: MANAMA, BH