The recently concluded Protection Shield 4 exercise, which aimed to bolster preparedness against weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), marks just one of the many ways the United States and Saudi Arabia cooperate against threats to regional security.

The latest iteration of the joint Saudi-US exercise, which wrapped up in early May, involved the Eastern Region Command of the Saudi military, headquartered in Dhahran, and US Central Command (CENTCOM).

The exercise included various branches of the Saudi military as well as representatives from civilian and military government agencies, including the Ministry of Defense's health services, the General Directorate of Civil Defense, the Ministry of Health and the Saudi Red Crescent Authority.

Protection Shield 4 sought to enhance the collective capabilities of all participants in confronting WMD threats, said Col. Turki bin Salem al-Sumairi, commander of the mixed battalion participating in the exercise.

It also served to "foster a unified approach to WMD response through shared concepts, procedures and skills, and raising awareness of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) hazards," according to the Saudi Press Agency.

Field exercises formed the crux of the event, testing the efficacy of national response plans in the event of a WMD attack.

The exercise also evaluated the effectiveness of information and report exchanges between participating forces and facilitated the development of joint response protocols.

Participants used simulated munitions to create a realistic environment for crisis management in response to WMD deployment.

Healthcare personnel from the Health and Defense ministries, the General Directorate of Civil Defense and the Saudi Red Crescent Authority conducted a separate exercise focused on strengthening joint interoperability and response capabilities for chemical and biological incidents.