Friendship 25 exercise demonstrates US commitment to Saudi Arabia

The United States is committed to supporting its allies in the Middle East through joint military exercises such as Friendship Exercise. The goal of joint military exercises is to enhance combat readiness, the exchange of tactical expertise, and demonstrate the strength of military cooperation between US and Middle East forces.

Combined US-Saudi exercises such as the recent Friendship 25, held in the northern part of the kingdom in late February, enhance coordination, combat readiness and cooperation against regional and global threats.

US Army and Royal Saudi Land Forces took part in the drill, which sought to "strengthen military relations between the two sides," the Saudi Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

The exercise sought to "enhance coordination and cooperation, standardize planning procedures, and develop command and control operations on the battlefield in various wartime conditions," the ministry said.

Exercises like Friendship 25 "develop US and Royal Saudi Land Forces service members and enable increased military capacity to address threats to regional security," according to the US Army.

A US Army M1A2 Abrams tank fires its main cannon during the Friendship 25 exercise in the US Central Command area of responsibility, February 12. Exercises like Friendship 25 develop US and Royal Saudi Land Forces service members and enable increased military capacity to address threats to regional security. [US Army]

Observers noted that the exercise included the M1A2 SEP v3, which is the most advanced iteration of the Abrams main battle tank.

The M1A2 SEP v3 features significant improvements in its power and electronic systems and an overhauled digital infrastructure, Defense Blog said March 18.

Supporting regional allies

As the latest sign of military-to-military engagement between Saudi Arabia and the United States, Friendship 2025 demonstrates the US commitment to regional stability.

In 1951, the United States and Saudi Arabia codified their defense relationship through the Mutual Defense Assistance Agreement, which enabled Riyadh to import US-made arms and ammunition.

The agreement also established a US-led training program for the Saudi military.

Since then, the United States and Saudi Arabia have engaged in numerous joint military exercises and training programs focused on improving combat readiness across forces, interoperability, and the exchange of tactical expertise.

Saudi Arabia is a participant in the biannual Eagle Resolve exercise, which sees Gulf Cooperation Council member states convene to address emerging threats.

In May 2024, Saudi Arabia, the United States and the United Arab Emirates hosted Native Fury 24, with Saudi Arabia serving as a host nation for the second time.

Participating nations focused on integrated ballistic missile defense, long-range tactical convoys, maritime logistics off-load and on-load, MEDEVAC drills, airfield damage repair, and forward arming and refueling point operations.

The United States and Saudi Arabia also regularly hold the Red Sands exercises focused on countering unmanned aerial systems (UAS).