191107-N-TI352-1124 MANAMA, Bahrain (Nov. 7, 2019) Emmanouil Iliopoulos, center, TUI Cruises’ chief navigation officer aboard the Malta-flagged ship, Mein Schiff 5, shares information about equipment on the bridge of his vessel as German navy Lt. Cmdr. Markus Bünsen, left, and Royal Netherlands Navy Lt. Wouter de Wijs, right, both representing the Naval Cooperation and Guidance for Shipping (NCAGS) working group, listen during an on board visit as part of International Maritime Exercise 2019 (IMX 19). NCAGS is a NATO-developed concept designed to ensure the safe arrival of merchant shipping in areas of increased tension, including operations resulting from military exercises like IMX 19. IMX 19 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 Lt. Ryan Slattery/Released)