Kuwait hosted two joint military exercises simultaneously in December 2025. The first was Exercise Sky Shield 2025, a weeklong event involving the Kuwaiti Air Defense Force, the Bahraini Air and Missile Defense Force, and forces from the United States and the United Kingdom.
The other was Joint Gulf Naval Exercise Union 2025 (or Ittihad), with the participation of naval forces from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states.
The exercises are part of the Kuwaiti military’s regular training with partner nations to enhance performance, combat readiness and operational interoperability, and to unify military concepts and strengthen defense cooperation to address emerging challenges.
The GCC naval exercise raised readiness to defend territorial waters of the Arabian Gulf states and protect their maritime exclusive economic zones.
In the aftermath of its liberation from Iraqi occupation in 1991, Kuwait adopted strict defense policies and paid particular attention to improving its defense capabilities to meet security challenges in the Middle East.
This is especially true since Kuwait’s territorial waters have been subject to periodic Iranian threats surrounding the offshore Dorra gas field, part of which Iran falsely claims is within its own territorial waters.
The Arabian Gulf state intensified military exercises and cemented defense partnerships with countries within and outside the GCC. In addition, it hosted international forces on its territory to combat terrorism and train its forces.
Kuwait hosts a significant U.S. military presence and regularly conducts joint training with U.S. forces, and the two nations cooperate in combating global terrorism.
It is a Major Non-NATO Ally and a critical logistical
hub for U.S. forces in the Middle East. Kuwait hosts the
U.S. Army Central forward headquarters.
Kuwait has become a major buyer of U.S. military equipment. The latest deal is a $1.5 billion contract the U.S. Department of War awarded to Boeing to build new AH-64E Apache attack helicopters for Kuwait and to train their crews.
Sources: aljarida.com, Kuwait News Agency, U.S. Department of State, Kuwait Army