Chapter 3: Persian Gulf, Arabian Peninsula
Bahrain: Overview
Facts
/ Geography, Climate / Cities
/ Posture Statement Excerpt
Leadership
/ System Essentials / Infrastructure
/ Population / Fielded Forces
/ Table of Contents
Archipelago of desert islands, of which the largest is Bahrain. The islands are characterized by mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment.
The climate is arid with mild, pleasant winters. In the summer, it is very hot and humid. There is little rainfall year-round.
Moderate and pro-Western, Bahrain shares U.S. goals for regional peace and stability. The country has a prominent commercial role in the Gulf as a regional financial and service center. Faced with diminishing petroleum resources, Bahrain has diversified in the manufacturing, finance, and service fields to reduce its dependence on oil revenues. The Government of Bahrain has moved cautiously since the Gulf War, charting a steady course on economic and social policies. Bahrain established a Majlis al-Shura (consultative council) in December 1992.
The U.S.-Bahraini relationship has traditionally been close and cooperative. The de facto home port for Commander, Middle East Force since 1949, Bahrain has also been host to the Administrative Support Unit since 1971 and Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Central Command (COMUSNAVCENT) since 1993. Our mature bilateral relationship has included the establishment of an Office of Military Cooperation (OMC) in 1986, the signing of a Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) in 1991, and recurring meetings of the Military Consultative Committee (MCC). Most recently, Bahrain came to the aid of Kuwait in Operation VIGILANT WARRIOR and offered support to U.S. forces brought into the region to restore stability.
Bahrain relies heavily on the U.S. for military training and security assistance. It is a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) cash customer, purchasing 98% of its weapons, training, and spare parts from the United States. Our already robust combined exercise program has recently been expanded to include trilateral exercises.