191024-N-HP195-1012 BAHRAIN (Oct. 10, 2019) Military personnel from partner nations plan a simulated joint operation off the southern coast of Oman as part of International Maritime Exercise 2019 (IMX 19). The exercise is a multinational engagement involving partners and allies from around the world designed to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and experiences across the full spectrum of defensive maritime operations. IMX 19 serves to demonstrate the global resolve in maintaining regional security and stability, freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce from the Suez Canal south to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait through the Strait of Hormuz to the Northern Arabian Gulf. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Christopher Okula/Released)