BDF commander-in-chief attends joint drill

Manama, Apr. 17 (BNA): Commander-in-Chief of the Bahrain Defence Force (BDF), Field Marshal Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, yesterday attended the final phase of the "Joint Gulf Shield 1" drill and the accompanying military parades, in which the BDF participated. The military drill is among the largest of its kind in the world in terms of the number of participating countries and the weapons used. The BDF task force’s participation in the drill aims to strengthen military cooperation and complementarity, as well as to be ready to carry out joint tasks with the participating forces in order to safeguard the security of the region and face all forms of challenges and threats.  The commander-in-chief asserted that the BDF task force’s participation in the "Joint Gulf Shield 1" drill was in line with the directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Supreme Commander, which, he said, confirms the kingdom’s commitment to the principle of military unity with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Arab and Islamic and friendly countries. The force’s participation aims to achieve the highest levels of military and security cooperation and coordination, and raise the levels of combat readiness and preparedness to carry on joint tasks to face common threats and challenges, he said. Field Marshal Shaikh Khalifa lauded the advanced level showcased by the Saudi armed forces during the "Joint Gulf Shied 1" drill and the accompanying military parades, regarding command, organisation and implementation. The commander-in-chief expressed pride in the commander, officers, non-commissioned officers and servicemen of the BDF task force which took part in the drill, hailing the force’s effective role and outstanding competence in carrying out the tasks assigned to it throughout the drill to the fullest. He highlighted the BDF’s policy which, he said, is based on joint cooperation and coordination, as well as contribution to embodying goals and ambitions to reach the complementarity with the armed forces of brotherly and friendly countries in facing threats and challenges to the region’s security. He stressed that such brotherly and constructive drills reflect the depth of rapprochement and fraternity among the participating countries, and contribute to strengthening the pillars of GCC, Arab and Islamic military cooperation.