US Navy ships support UAE pilot training in Arabian Gulf

Released from U.S. Naval Central Command Public Affairs

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US Navy ships support UAE pilot training in Arabian Gulf

By: US Naval Central Command Public Affairs | February 28, 2023

Manama, Bahrain –

A US Navy ship served as a training platform for helicopter pilots of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces from 22 to 24 February.

UAE pilots are certified for deck landings aboard the US Navy Expeditionary Sea Base USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB 3) as the ship operates in the Arabian Gulf, enhancing interoperability between regional maritime partners.

“The pilot and crew were seamlessly integrated with Lewis B. Puller’s deck crew,” said Captain Jon Bradford, Commanding Officer, Lewis B. Puller. “This has been a great experience for my team and we look forward to working with our UAE partners in the future.”

The deck landing qualification helps 25 UAE military pilots maintain proficiency in landing on the flight deck of ships at sea.

During the three-day training opportunity, UH-60M Black Hawk, Bell 407, AS332 Super Puma and AH-64D Apache helicopters performed 158 landings. Emirates personnel also practiced repelling from the fast rope on Lewis B. Puller’s flight deck.

Lewis B. Puller is forward deployed to the U.S. Fifth Fleet and is able to support a variety of missions including counterpiracy, maritime security, disaster relief and crisis response operations.

The combat area of ​​the US Fifth Fleet includes 21 countries, the Arabian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, the Red Sea, part of the Indian Ocean, and three important throats, the Strait of Hormuz, the Strait of Mandeb and the Suez Canal.