International Maritime Exercise 2025 (IMX25), the largest maritime exercise in the Middle East, is giving participants the opportunity to practice critical skills for ensuring the security of the region.

The US Navy on February 10 kicked off IMX25, a 12-day naval training event hosted by US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT), in Bahrain and Jordan.

The exercise covers a number of maritime security operations, including coastal defense tactics, training and procedures designed to enhance regional partner interoperability.

The operational phase of the drill covers partner exchanges and training in the airborne, surface and underwater domains of Mine Countermeasure Missions (MCMs), which involves locating, identifying and destroying mines in the water.

IMX25 also includes a series of exchanges to share best practices for patient care in operational environments.

The exchanges also cover visit, board, search and seizure; unmanned systems and artificial intelligence integration; vessel defense; search and rescue; mass casualty response; and explosive ordnance disposal, among other focus areas.

This year's IMX is linked with exercise Cutlass Express -- led by US Naval Forces Europe-Africa -- which is designed to enhance regional maritime awareness and the combined capabilities of partner nations to respond to maritime threats.

Improved interoperability

Throughout the exercise, US forces and participating nations will work to enhance maritime domain awareness and improve international law enforcement capacity, the US Navy said.

They also will work to increase interoperability between the US, African and other multinational partner navies and coast guards, it said.

This year's exercise will focus training efforts in Mauritius, Seychelles and Tanzania, it added.

Information sharing and coordination will take place across nine maritime operation centers (MOCs) throughout the region, to strengthen theater-to-theater coordination and US and partner nation capabilities and interoperability.

More than 5,000 personnel from more than 35 nations and international organizations are participating in the two exercises.

IMX25 is the ninth iteration of the exercise since its establishment in 2012.

It is designed to demonstrate global resolve in preserving the rules-based international order and offers a unique opportunity for participants to collaborate and showcase regional maritime security cooperation.