By IANS
Abu Dhabi : The United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar and France have begun joint military manoeuvres here as part of the “Gulf Shield 1” military exercise, WAM news agency reported Sunday.
The joint exercise is a part of wider defence cooperation between the three countries that includes sharing information and expertise.
Infantry, naval and air defence units are participating in the exercise that will last for several days. The exercise aims at unifying training methods and boosting troops’ combative preparedness.
Held every four years, the Gulf Shield war games series has been running since 1996 with emphasis on planning, execution, and management of joint military operations, as provided in the Joint Defence Pact signed between the UAE and France in 1995.
Gulf Shield I is the first joint exercise to be organised by the UAE and France with the participation of Qatari troops. The exercise will be held in both UAE and Qatar.