From September 20-25, Deputy Assistant Secretary of War (DASW) for Near East and Central Asia Michael P. DiMino IV traveled to Qatar and Bahrain to co-chair the 17th U.S.-Qatar Military Consultative Commission (MCC) and 21st U.S.-Bahrain Military Consultative Committee (MCC) alongside representatives of the Joint Staff, U.S. Central Command, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, and the Department of State.
In Doha, DASW DiMino led the 17th annual U.S.-Qatar MCC alongside Qatar Major General Ali Al Kuwari. The delegations exchanged views on regional security and identified priority efforts to further enhance Qatar's defensive capabilities and interoperability with U.S. forces. Qatar agreed to explore expansion of its maintenance and sustainment facilities for common platforms, including PATRIOT, and strengthen cooperation in defense-relevant critical minerals. DASW DiMino also met with Qatar's Minister of Defense, Sheikh Saoud Al Thani and Qatar's Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Jassim Al Mannai and visited U.S. forces at Al Udeid Air Base.
In Manama, DASW DiMino co-chaired the 21st U.S.-Bahrain MCC with Bahrain's Minister of Defense Affairs H.E. Lieutenant General Abdullah Al-Noaimi. The delegations assessed regional security challenges and discussed opportunities for Bahrain to continue integrating with U.S. forces and investing in its defensive counter-air capabilities, including the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS). Bahrain also committed to participate in Task Force Falcon Strike, CENTCOM's multi-domain, multi-national drone task force, enabling Bahraini forces to increasingly leverage these capabilities in support of regional deterrence.
