Royal Marines: SAIF SAREEA (Swift Sword) Oman

• OMAN
  

ROYAL MARINES RECONNAISSANCE SPECIALISTS STORM DESERT AHEAD OF SAIF SAREEA 3

The eyes and ears of 3 Commando Brigade made the first move at the start of Saif Sareea 3 – one of the biggest international military exercises in the world which last took place in late 2018 in Oman. All info , photos, footage UK MOD

Hidden in the heat of the Omani desert, they wait until nightfall for the chance to strike. Emerging from cover once darkness falls, the Royal Marines of 3 Commando Brigade’s Surveillance and Reconnaissance Squadron launch mortar attacks on enemy positions before disappearing undetected back into the desert.

Fighting for information and harassing the enemy, they allow an amphibious force to fully understand the situation ashore prior to the main force landing, as well as keeping the enemy on the back foot. 

And so the exercise, in the desert of Oman, presented the marines with an unmissable opportunity to hone their reconnaissance skills.

Since 1986, sailors, soldiers and air crews from the UK and Oman have periodically come together to train and reinforce their long-standing military alliance. Dubbed Saif Sareea, it is one of the largest international military exercises in the world.

Taking place over the course of a month, Saif Sareea 3 was broken up into five phases: initial troop deployment, national forces training, integration of the UK Battle Group with Omani forces, final test exercises, and a firepower demonstration to showcase the combined might of UK and Omani forces.

Taking part in the exercises were British armour and infantry, and aerial support courtesy of the RAF, Army Air Corps and Fleet Air Arm.

The amphibious assault ship HMS Albion was the hub of an Amphibious Task Group made up of the destroyer HMS Dragon and minehunters HMS Blyth and Ledbury. The task group also included support/command ship RFA Cardigan Bay, amphibious support vessel RFA Lyme Bay and the military ferry MV Anvil Point.

60,000

Omani personnel

4,000

British personnel

4

Royal Navy ships

2

Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships

Why are we there?

Saif Sareea (which means ‘swift sword’ in Arabic) is a joint British-Omani military exercise that has been held three times: in 1986, 2001, and 2018.

It is intended to reinforce the close military relationship between Britain and Oman, strengthening our ability to provide security and safeguard UK prosperity in a vital part of the world.

The overall aims of the exercise are to test the UK’s expeditionary warfare strategy and to maintain strategic relationships with allies in the Persian Gulf. The exercise also provides an opportunity to test equipment in the hostile desert environment.