KUWAIT: The Kuwaiti army conducted the “Desert Horizon” exercise on Wednesday with the participation of ground and air forces and the involvement of the 25th Brigade, in the presence of the Chief of the General Staff Maj Gen Dr Ghazi Al-Shammari and several high-ranking military leaders.

The ministry of defense stated in a press release that the exercise is in line with the directives of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, which he emphasized during his meeting with the members of the Military Defense Council on Monday.

The directives called for strengthening and enhancing the readiness and efficiency of all units of the Kuwaiti Army in light of the current regional circumstances. The exercise involved live ammunition and was participated in by the 4th Reconnaissance Battalion of the Ground Force, F-18F aircraft, Apache helicopters for support and air power and the Infiltration Company from the 25th Brigade. The exercise simulated scenarios of complex and asymmetric operational environments and aimed to improve coordination and cooperation among different military sectors.

Meanwhile, the Duty Force, affiliated with the Kuwaiti Land Force, departed through the Salmi border crossing to participate in the “Gulf Shooting 2023” exercise, the second edition of which will be conducted in the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from Wednesday until Nov 17.

The ministry of defense stated in a press release that the joint exercise, whose first edition was held in Nov 2021 in Kuwait, is being conducted with formations representing the Kuwaiti Land Force, the Royal Saudi Land Forces and the Spartan force from the US Army. The participation in this exercise comes within the framework of common cooperation, enhancing collective work, and raising combat readiness and preparedness for the participating forces. — KUNA