Pakistan and Oman take part in naval drills in North Arabian Sea

Islamabad: The Pakistan Navy and Royal Navy of Oman (RNO) participated in the naval exercise ‘Thamar Al Tayyib 2021’ (TAT-21) in the North Arabian Sea.

The exercise conducted in Pakistani territorial waters from December 13-18 included the participation of surface and air units, besides special operations forces from both navies.

The Omani Navy Task Group comprised RNO ships Al Dhaferah and Al Seeb. Maritime patrol aircraft of Royal Air Force of Oman also participated in the exercise.

During the harbour phase of the exercise, operational and tactical-level discussions and pre-exercise conferences were conducted. The sea phase of the exercise included counter-terrorism training, anti-air and anti-surface warfare operations with a focus on curbing illicit activities at sea, according to the official statement.

Commanding officers of visiting RNO ships called on Commander Pakistan Fleet and Commander Coast where they discussed matters of mutual interests and enhancement of bilateral naval ties. The RNO commanding officers extended gratitude for the support provided by Pakistan Navy for the exercise. Pakistan’s Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi also visited Oman ships and met the officers and crew on board.

Exercise TAT-21 “provided an avenue for mutual learning and inter-operability and opportunity for both navies to further hone their professional skills,” Pakistan Navy said.

The naval exercise is part of the annual training with friendly countries with an aim to exchange experiences, coordinate efforts and conduct joint cooperation on the high seas. The two navies conduct regularly exercises since 1990. The last exercise of the TAT series was conducted in Oman’s waters in 2019.

Regular bilateral naval exercises between the Pakistan Navy and the Royal Navy of Oman signify the long-standing brotherly relations between two countries and both the navies, Pakistan Navy said.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Navy Special Services Group (SSGN) recently participated in the special forces exercise ‘Ayylidiz 2021’ with Turkish Su Altı Taarruz (SAT) special forces in Istanbul to exchange professional expertise. The exercise focused on anti-terrorism operations, sniper training, frogmen operations and visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) domains.