On April 16, His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the monarch of Bahrain and Supreme Commander of the armed forces, paid a visit to the base of the U.S. 5th Fleet in Bahrain.
Along with U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain Steven Bondy, Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. 5th Fleet, along with the Combined Maritime Forces, greeted His Majesty the King. His Majesty the King and the leaders spoke about U.S. Navy and regional partner operations and initiatives to improve maritime cooperation internationally, including unmanned and artificial intelligence technology.
Cooper added, “We are deeply grateful for our long-standing strategic partnership with the Kingdom of Bahrain and are extremely honoured to host His Majesty the King.” “Bahrain remains a crucial regional maritime security leader and a strong U.S. ally.”
Bahrain is home to the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) headquarters and the multinational Maritime Security Construct (IMSC), two U.S.-led multinational maritime alliances in addition to the 5th Fleet.
With naval forces from 38 member countries contributing to four active task groups in the Middle East, CMF is the largest maritime alliance in the world. IMSC, a coalition of 11 nations, was established three years ago in response to dangers facing merchant seamen crossing local waterways. Bahrain is a participant in both groups.
August 2019 was His Majesty the King’s most recent trip to the American Fifth Fleet headquarters.
8,000 Americans and their families are part of the U.S. 5th Fleet, which is based in Bahrain and operates in the Gulf of Oman, the Red Sea, parts of the Indian Ocean, and three crucial choke points, including the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal, and Bab al-Mandeb.
