[Oman-l] Britain and Oman in military exercise

[Joachim Duester]

Britain and Oman in military exercise
8 November, 2000, 06:06 GMT 

(BBC) Britain and Oman are to take part in a joint military exercise,
the biggest overseas exercise that Britain has ever participated in. 

The exercise, code-named Operation Safe Sword, is expected to involve
the largest gathering of military hardware and personnel in the region
since the Gulf war.

Britain says its forces -- an army division, hundred royal air force
aircraft and thirty royal navy ships -- will demonstrate their ability
to deploy over long distances. 

The BBC correspondent in the Gulf says training exercises like Operation
Safe Sword are often conducted in the Gulf by NATO countries to ensure a
state of readiness in a volatile region but also for business. 

Our correspondent says while countries of the Southern Gulf rely on the
West for military protection, Western defence jobs rely on continued
orders from the Gulf states.