Air force units from the six Gulf Arab monarchies are staging a joint exercise in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a spokesman for the Emirati armed forces said in a statement published Saturday.
Dubbed "Gulf Arrows 1," the maneuver, which started on Friday, was preplanned in the context of routine joint exercises by the Gulf states, the spokesman said, implicitly ruling out any link between the exercise and an anticipated United States military offensive against Iraq, according to AFP.
The spokesman, quoted in local newspapers did not give details on the duration of the exercise nor the size of the units taking part. He only stated that the drill was designed to "improve the combat capability" of the participating air forces and "test modern fighting techniques and equipment." (Albawaba.com)
