KARACHI, March 8: Naval exercise Aman-13 came to its conclusion with a spectacular daylong exercise in the North Arabian Sea, some 20 nautical miles from Karachi, on Friday.

The exercise attended by over 30 countries was carried out in two parts — the harbour phase spanned from March 4 to 6 and the sea phase from March 7 to 8.

The final day’s events were witnessed by observers who included navy personnel and the ambassadors and high commissioners of all the participant countries, who went aboard the huge Pakistan Navy supply ship PNS Nasr.

They witnessed a fly-past performed by air units of various participant countries comprising three types of helicopters and PC3 aircraft and PAF Mirages.

Replenishment at sea was demonstrated by two feeding ships, namely the PNS Shamsheer and PNS Saif, and the supply ship PNS Nasr itself.

The excises included an anti-piracy demonstration, surface firing on killer tomato where all the gunships taking part in Aman-13 aimed at a huge bloated target resembling a tomato and finally ‘man and cheer ship’, which saw 16 ships representing their respective countries pass by the PNS Nasr amid applause of appreciation by the audience.

The silence other than the hum of the ships engines would often be broken by the landing of PN helicopters bringing in foreign delegates.

The chief guest on the occasion was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Khalid Shameem Wynne.

He praised Pakistan Navy for hosting the multinational mega event as well as a simultaneous maritime conference in order to prepare the forces and discuss the many threats in the sea.

Later, speaking to the media, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral M. Asif Sandila, too, showed his satisfaction over the successful holding of the fourth episode of the exercise Aman-13, which the Pakistan Navy initiated in 2007 and had been holding after every two years.

Moving away from the topic of discussion, the naval chief, while replying to a question, said that he hoped that the Sir Creek dispute between Pakistan and India would be resolved through dialogue.