• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Neon Falcon

Exercise Neon Falcon is a regular trilateral UK/US/Bahrain exercise held off Bahrain. Neon Falcon normally occurs in the April/May timeframe.

Amphibious Squadron SEVEN's first deployment was June to December 1995 with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (SOC) and the NEW ORLEANS Amphibious Ready Group. During this deployment, the Amphibious Ready Group/Marine Expeditionary Unit (SOC) conducted Exercises INFINITE MOONLIGHT, EAGER MACE, RELIANT RESCUE, NEON FALCON, and RELIANT GORILLA visiting Hong Kong; Singapore; Aqaba, Jordan; Bahrain; Jebel Ali, UAE; Fremantle, Australia; and Pearl Harbor. Operations Neon Moon and Neon Falcon were conducted 05 Jan - 22 Jan, 1996, at Al-Manama City, Bahrain.

The Aegis guided missile destroyer USS Laboon (DDG 58) returns to its Norfolk home port 01 November 1996 after completing its six-month initial deployment with the Middle East Force. The ship's participation in Exercise Rugged Nautilus and Neon Falcon provided training to allies in the Arabian Gulf.

The USS New Orleans (LPH 11) Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (special operations capable) (MEU (SOC)) returned home on 22 December 1996 with more than 4,000 Sailors and Marines from a Western Pacific (WestPac) deployment. While deployed, the New Orleans ARG participated in Exercises Infinite Moonlight 95, in Jordan; Eager Mace 96-1, in Kuwait, and Neon Falcon in Bahrain. HDCU 113 deployed to Manama, Bahrain for the multinational FTX Neon Falcon '96.

Amphibious Squadron SEVEN's third deployment was from December 1998 to June 1999 and again with the BOXER Amphibious Ready Group and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (SOC). During the deployment, the staff participated in Exercises EDGED MALLET, NEON FALCON, and EAGER MACE. CVW-11 participated in several international exercises including Operation Eager Archer and Neon Falcon in February 1999.

Neon Falcon 2000, which included 7,000 participants from the United States, Bahrain, France and the United Kingdom, was a large-scale naval exercise conducted to promote bilateral training among participating nations. The UK was involved in Exercise Neon Falcon, a joint exercise with the US and Bahrain in which Royal Navy vessels including the carrier HMS Illustrious, the nuclear submarine HMS Triumph and the destroyer HMS Gloucester took part.

Steaming with the USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) battlegroup, in Neon Falcon and Arabian Gauntlet, (CG-57) Lake Champlain improved interoperability and fostered good will with forces from Europe as well as Arabian Gulf coalition partners. Conducting tactical maneuvering drills, communications exercises and simulated mine avoidance operations, Lake Champlain set the standards for all future participants to follow.

Arriving in Bahrain in May 2000, RENTZ became the major player in the Multinational exercise "NEON FALCON", a combination inport and at sea training exercise conducted with eight ships of the United States, British, French and Bahrainian forces. Training included Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO), small boat attacks tactics, underway replenishment techniques and Flight deck fire fighting. DC1(SW) Tuitasi and DC2(SW) Richardson, who led the flight deck fire fighting lectures given to several foreign and U.S. ships participating in NEON FALCON, state that, "This exercise has been a great opportunity to share our expertise with foreign sailors as well as our own countrymen."

Twenty two members of Harbor Defense Command 114, a composite U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard Reserve unit based in Long Beach, Calif., deployed to the Persian Gulf to participate in Neon Falcon 2000, a joint multi-national exercise. During the exercise, HDCU 114's Commanding Officer, CAPT Bill Hall, USNR, served as the Harbor Defense Task Group Commander, responsible for implementing an effective defense of port and pier facilities in Bahrain. HDCU 114 worked in concert with Inshore Boat Unit (IBU) 16 from Pensacola, Fla. and Mobile Inshore Undersea Warfare Unit (MIUWU) 103, based in Alameda, Calif. The U.S. harbor defense units worked with harbor defense forces of the Bahrain Amiri Navy and Coast Guard. In addition to providing force protection for the multinational force, HDCU members participated in critical chemical, biological and radiological (CBR) training, designed to enhance survivability in the event of an attack. HDCU, MIUWU and IBU members also conducted joint training with the Bahraini Defense Forces, developing important relationships with key members of the Bahrain Amiri Navy. HDCU 114 was originally commissioned in Honolulu, Hawaii and was relocated to Long Beach in April 1999. Neon Falcon 2000 represented the first major deployment of the unit since its move to Long Beach.

USS Paul F. Foster (DD-964), Destroyer Squadron 50, Commander Middle East Forces, and the Surface Action Group participated in exercise Neon Falcon 01, a joint exercise including 11 United States and Allied warships.