Oman’s strategic position and its coastline that extends more than 3,000 kilometers along the Arabian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea make it a major supporter of maritime security. Realizing that one hand can’t clap, the country combines efforts with those of regional and global partners to enhance maritime security, trade and environmental sustainability on those three bodies of water. It was among the first nations to join the multinational naval partnership Combined Maritime Forces, the Bahrain-based partnership founded in 2002. The Sultanate also works closely with the United States to ensure freedom of navigation in the…
Unipath
Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedov has made military modernization his country’s primary goal in 2025. The emergent Turkmen military, 40,000 strong according to the Global Fire Power Index, is becoming a regional power and already has the largest tank corps in Central Asia. Turkmenistan is investing in better training, equipment, weapons, accommodations and increased salaries for military service members. During a session of the country’s State Security Council in January 2025, Berdimuhamedov emphasized the “critical role” of the military in “maintaining the nation’s security and stability.” “Turkmenistan is rapidly expanding and modernizing its military to allow Ashgabat to defend itself against…
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), long a major contributor to defense technology in support of peace and security throughout the world, has become a global hub where multinational corporations specializing in defense industries gather to showcase products to address security challenges. In February 2025, the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre in the UAE hosted the 2025 International Defence Exhibition & Conference (IDEX), alongside the Naval Defence and Maritime Security Exhibition (NAVDEX). IDEX/NAVDEX drew 1,556 exhibitors from 65 countries, which is 16% more than the previous iteration. Chairman of the Higher Organizing Committee of IDEX/NAVDEX, Maj. Gen. Pilot Faris Khalaf Al…
To keep pace with the constant advancement of defense technology and military tactics, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been modernizing its Armed Forces in terms of equipment, resources, capabilities and skills. It has concluded major deals to supply advanced weapons, participated in bilateral and joint exercises, and stipulated in its Vision 2030 that half of its military procurements be supplied domestically. As part of a training program to enhance its Air Force, the Saudis held an annual multinational exercise called Spears of Victory. Air forces from 15 nations participated in the 12-day exercise in January and February 2025 at…
A small, unmanned quadcopter drone — something available on the commercial market for a few hundred dollars — crashes near a village. Green smoke streams from a canister affixed to the body of the drone. A yell shatters the morning air: “Gas!” Five villagers collapse on the ground, gagging and writhing. It’s a sign of exposure to a chemical warfare agent that, left untreated, can asphyxiate its victims. A multinational team of Egyptian, Qatari and Indian Soldiers arrives on the scene. “Deploy the robot!” a Soldier shouts as a remote-controlled vehicle rolls up to investigate the drone wreckage. Qatari troops…
Qatari Special Forces raided an enemy-held oil platform, rescued hostages on a passenger jet, stormed a metro train and cleared city streets. These crisis simulations were part of Invincible Sentry 2025, a counterterrorism exercise in which special operations troops from Qatar and the United States proved once again they could operate together as partners to strengthen regional security. Qatar hosted Invincible Sentry from April 13 to 17, 2025, the third time in six years it has invited U.S. forces to participate in the combined military exercise. The previous iteration, in 2021, focused on securing the 2022 FIFA World Cup tournament…
In a world where asymmetric threats evolve faster than conventional responses, effective intelligence gathering is no longer the exclusive domain of satellites, cyber assets or even elite military units. Increasingly, it is the alert citizen — the person on the street, in the market or along a smuggling corridor — who becomes the key to stopping the next attack. Recognizing this, the U.S. Department of War has long employed a powerful tool: the DoW Rewards Program (DoWRP). This initiative offers money to people who provide timely, credible information that helps protect U.S. and allied forces or disrupts threats to regional…
As a Task Force Falcon joint patrol maneuvers through the forests of northern Atropia, near the disputed border with its aggressive neighbor Donovia, Soldiers scan the sky for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and the terrain for hostile ground forces. Intelligence reports indicate that ethnic Donovian insurgents, loyal to the neighboring state and seeking to destabilize the disputed region, lurk among the trees. Suddenly, an enemy UAV appears above the tree line and the patrol is ambushed by insurgents. The task force Soldiers react rapidly and effectively, maneuvering to neutralize the enemy and its UAV. Though the attack injures three task…
Over the past quarter-century, under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad, the Kingdom of Bahrain has worked tirelessly to engage constructively across our region and beyond to strengthen security, uphold stability and deepen prosperity. Since then, Bahrain has gone from strength to strength, with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister as the driving force behind its growing importance in tackling contemporary regional issues. At the heart of Bahrain’s diplomatic efforts lies a steadfast commitment to the principles of dialogue, coexistence and mutual respect, extending hands of friendship and cooperation to like-minded friends and partners, as we…
Photos by TECH SGT. DANIEL ROBLES/U.S. AIR FORCE The nation of Red Land, conspiring to reassemble its former empire that had disintegrated 30 years earlier, hires mercenaries to harass one of its former satellite states called Blue Land. Alarmed when the Red Land proxies cross the international border and occupy a stretch of Blue Land territory, the United Nations Security Council summons a multinational military coalition to protect citizens of Blue Land and, if necessary, expel Red Land-backed forces. The peacekeeping duty falls to task forces consisting of troops from Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and the…