At the end of Dubai Airshow in November 2023, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Defense signed a contract with the EDGE Group, one of the world’s leading advanced technology and defense conglomerates, to buy 100 Reach-S fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). “The development of the Reach-S, one of the first locally made medium- altitude, long-endurance UAVs, marks a significant milestone for EDGE,” Senior Vice President of Advanced Concepts Saeed Al Mansoori said. “Thanks to the dedicated team at Advanced and Concepts, we have successfully completed two flight tests and a weapon release campaign for the Reach-S, and we…
Unipath
In November 2023, the Sultanate of Oman hosted the 20th regular meeting of the Supreme Military Committee of the Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states at Al Bustan Palace Hotel in Muscat. The meeting was chaired by Vice Adm. Abdullah bin Khamis Al Raisi, chief of staff of the Sultan’s Armed Forces and attended by members of the Supreme Military Committee (GCC armed forces’ chiefs of staff): Lt. Gen. Eid bin Awad Al Shalawi, commander of the GCC Unified Military Command, and Maj. Gen. Issa bin Rashid Al Muhannadi Al Amin,…
The State of Qatar continues to improve the capabilities of its Armed Forces and expand military partnerships to defend the country’s borders and maintain security and stability. As part of this effort, the Qatari Emiri Land Forces and an Italian force carried out the bilateral military exercise Nasr 23 (or Victory) under the patronage of the Qatari Minister of State for Defence Affairs, Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Attiyah. The October 2023 exercise aimed to raise the level of capabilities and promote efficiency and combat readiness for all specialties in the Qatari land forces. Qatar’s military relations with Italy include equipment…
UNIPATH STAFF Thousands of Syrian refugees illegally crossed into Lebanon in the second half of 2023 across rugged border terrain in areas of Al-Arida, Al-Aboudieh, Wadi Khaled, Jabal Akrum and Hermel on the border in the Bekaa Valley. During August and September alone, the Lebanese army prevented about 6,100 Syrians from entering Lebanon illegally. According to Al Arabiya.net, about 11,000 Syrian refugees had been deported through the northern border as of 2023. In just one week in October, Lebanese Armed Forces thwarted border crossing attempts by about 800 people. Lebanon, with the help of international partners, built watchtowers with advanced…
UNIPATH STAFF Maj. Gen. Shukhrat Khalmukhamedov, Uzbekistan’s chief of the general staff, and Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command, co-hosted a security conference in September 2023 attended by senior military leaders from the region. The focus of the Central and South Asian States Chiefs of Defense Conference in Tashkent was peace and stability in the region. Gens. Khalmukhamedov and Kurilla were joined by the chiefs of defense of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan; Pakistan’s chairman of the joint chiefs of staff committee; and Turkmenistan’s defense attaché to Uzbekistan. The senior delegates began the conference with a solemn wreath…
Kuwaiti ground and air forces conducted exercise Desert Horizon in November 2023 to evaluate the level of interoperability among units from different military branches. Attended by Kuwait Armed Forces Acting Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Ghazi Al-Shammari, Desert Horizon used live ammunition to simulate a complex operational environment and symmetric and asymmetric warfare. Units that participated in the exercise were the Assault Company from the 25th Commando Brigade, the 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, F-18 aircraft from the Air Force, and Apache helicopters from Army Aviation. Kuwait Armed Forces regularly participate in local, regional and international exercises to raise the capabilities of…
UNIPATH STAFF As part of an annual oil spill response exercise, the U.S. Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain Environmental Division conducted a salvage and pollution response drill in November 2023 in Bahrain. The three-day exercise aimed to improve readiness to protect the environment, public health and marine life. The exercise enlisted sophisticated oil skimmers, firefighting equipment, boats and other gear to supplement the training. Several Bahraini agencies participated in the effort, including the Marine Emergency Mutual Aid Centre (MEMAC), Bahrain Petroleum Company, APM Terminals Bahrain, Bahrain Coast Guard, Ports and Maritime Affairs. Attendees received a tour and a briefing on…
BRIG. GEN. PILOT FAISAL AL-JUMAI, YEMENI SENIOR NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE TO U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND As a brigadier general commanding Yemen’s 14th Armored Brigade in the province of Marib, Mohsen Mohammed Hussein Al-Daeri took a Houthi bullet in the arm during the battle of Nasr 1 in September 2016. His success in leading combat troops against rebel militias in vital areas of the country earned him a promotion to Yemeni minister of defense in 2022 with a bump in rank to lieutenant general. Lt. Gen. Mohsen finds himself on the front lines again as the Houthis and their Iranian backers expand the…
BRIG. GEN. MUSTAFA ABDUL HALIM AL-HIYARI, DIRECTOR OF MILITARY MEDIA, JORDAN ARMED FORCES-ARAB ARMY PHOTOS BY JORDAN ARMED FORCES From Day 1 of the war in Gaza, Jordan has worked tirelessly to secure a cease-fire, protect civilians and provide humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. This is in addition to calls by His Majesty King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein to find a political framework for a comprehensive resolution and establish an independent state based on the two-state solution. This is where the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army comes into play by upholding the official position and supporting humanitarian efforts in…
I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to United States Central Command for publishing this issue of Unipath magazine that addresses the need for confronting violent terrorist organizations. The Yemeni state was aware of the danger of the Houthi terrorist organization early on and confronted it 20 years ago. The battles continue to this day. The group was able to expand the scope of its rebellion until it toppled the government and took control of the capital Sanaa and other Yemeni cities in 2014 by taking advantage of the fragility of the political system and unlimited support from Iran.…