Saudi Arabia announced the successful completion of the Red Wave 8 exercise, aimed at enhancing maritime security in the Red Sea. A statement from the Ministry of Defense indicated that the exercise’s closing ceremony was held at the King Faisal Naval Base, which is part of the Western Fleet. The ceremony was attended by the Commander of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces, Lieutenant General Muhammad bin Abdulrahman Al-Ghuraybi, the Director General of the Border Guard, Major General Shayi bin Salim Al-Wadaani, and senior military officials from the participating countries.
The exercise, held from November 9-13, saw the active participation of Saudi Arabia’s naval, land, and air forces, as well as the Border Guard. Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Sudan, and Djibouti, all of which have coastlines on the Red Sea, participated in the exercise with their own naval assets.
During the exercise, numerous joint missions were carried out, including anti-submarine warfare, electronic warfare, operations against surface and air threats, maritime security practices, neutralizing unmanned surface vessels, and live-fire exercises. Additionally, amphibious landings, coastal defense, scenarios of conflict in residential areas, mine clearance, counter-terrorism, reconnaissance, and hostage rescue operations were among the key components of the exercise.
The Exercise Director, Rear Admiral Abdullah Muhammad Al-Anzi, emphasized that Red Wave 8 strengthened military coordination among the regional countries, enhanced deterrence against common threats, and made intelligence sharing more effective.
It was stated that this year’s iteration of the Red Wave series, which was first launched in 2019, was one of the most comprehensive exercises to date, utilizing modern platforms and advanced defense technologies.
