The Pakistan Navy and the Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF) successfully wrapped up a bilateral maritime exercise on Saturday, featuring a live weapons firing demonstration in the North Arabian Sea. This event showcased their combat readiness, as reported by Pakistan’s Naval Headquarters in Islamabad.

The exercise, named Naseem Al Bahr-XV, followed the larger multinational Aman exercise, which aimed to foster regional maritime cooperation among various navies. In contrast to Aman, which emphasizes soft power, multinational coordination, and humanitarian efforts, Naseem Al Bahr is a biennial event focused on enhancing operational readiness and joint warfare capabilities between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

This year’s exercise involved four naval vessels: Pakistan’s PNS Zulfiquar and Saudi Arabia’s HMS Jazan, HMS Al Yarmook, and HMS Hail.

According to the official statement, “Exercise NASEEM AL BAHR-XV included advanced maritime operations, with both navies executing a wide array of complex scenarios, such as joint maneuvers, Anti-Surface Warfare, Anti-Submarine Warfare, and integrated Maritime Security Operations.”

The exercise served as a platform to bolster bilateral cooperation, improve interoperability, and affirm a mutual commitment to maritime security. It concluded with a live weapons firing demonstration, where the participating ships effectively launched various surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles. The statement highlighted that all vessels accurately engaged their designated targets, showcasing their combat readiness and operational capabilities. Senior officials, including the commander of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces and Pakistan’s chief of naval staff, were present at the event.