Pakistan Navy’s international exercise in oil spill response is set to kick off today, Tuesday, in the southern port city of Karachi with multiple countries such as Saudi Arabia and China participating, the state-run Radio Pakistan said.
The 12th edition of the Barracuda exercise aims at sharing Pakistan’s expertise in mitigating the negative effects of oil spills and pollution at sea. This year’s exercise, which will run from January 2-4, will involve Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, China, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania, and representatives from oil-importing companies in Pakistan.
“The three-day drill will involve practical scenarios simulating a mock oil spill in both coastal and open sea environments,” Radio Pakistan said in a report. “Search and rescue operations will also be a significant component of the exercise.”
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia partake in multiple naval exercises each year. The naval exercises are planned military training activities conducted by naval forces belonging to different countries. They serve several purposes, including training and readiness of naval personnel, stronger coordination among different navies, testing of equipment, and experimenting with new tactics.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy fraternal relations dating back to decades. The two countries cooperate in multiple sectors such as defense, economy, finance, trade and media. The kingdom is also home to over 2.7 million Pakistani expatriates, serving as the top destination for remittances for the cash-strapped South Asian country.
