Source: United States Naval Central Command
MANAMA, Bahrain —
The Middle East region’s largest maritime exercise, International Maritime Exercise (IMX) 2025, kicked off in two locations, Bahrain and Jordan, Feb. 10.
The week began with academic discussions covering a series of topics including the naval planning process, maritime operations center procedures, and disaster response coordination.
IMX25 is a 12-day naval training event hosted by U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT). This year’s iteration of IMX is linked with exercise Cutlass Express. Cutlass Express, led by U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, is an annually scheduled exercise designed to enhance regional maritime awareness and the combined capabilities of partner nations to respond to maritime threats. The exercises are link through information sharing between maritime operations center to strengthen theater-to-theater coordination, reducing regional seams and strengthening U.S. and partner nation capabilities and interoperability.
More than 5,000 personnel from more than 35 nations and international organizations will take part in both exercises.
IMX is designed to demonstrate global resolve in preserving the rules-based international order, offering a unique opportunity for participants to collaborate and showcase regional maritime security cooperation.
“Exercises like IMX show that we are at our best when we work together and that our resolve is unwavering,” said U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Jeff Jurgemeyer, NAVCENT vice commander, during his remarks at the opening ceremony. “The Middle East region is a critical crossroads for worldwide commerce and trade. IMX is our combined assurance that the potential for economic success is greatest when international waterways are safe and open for all.”
The operational phase will include partner exchanges on mine and countermeasures; visit, board, search and seizure; unmanned systems and artificial intelligence integration; explosive ordnance disposal; vessel defense; search and rescue; and mass casualty response, among other focus areas.
This is the ninth iteration of IMX since its establishment in 2012.
The U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations encompasses nearly 2.5 million square miles of water area and includes the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, parts of the Indian Ocean and three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, Suez Canal and Bab al-Mandeb.
More information about IMX is available at: https://www.cusnc.navy.mil/IMX/.