US naval base in Bahrain set for $580m upgrade

A US naval base in Bahrain is set to undergo a $580m upgrade, which will double its size, it was reported on Thursday.

The revamp of the Naval Support Activity Bahrain base, which is home of the US Navy 5th Fleet Command, started on Wednesday and is slated to be completed in four phases over five years.

The move will enable the US to better withstand the growing number of threats in the region’s strategic waterways, UAE daily The National reported.

“What you see today is a commitment to staying in the region. Anybody who suggests that we are getting afraid or nervous or losing our resolve just has to take a look at what we are doing here today,” said Adam Ereli, the US ambassador to Bahrain in comments published by the paper.

The 5th Fleet area of operation encompasses about 6.5 million sq km of water, spanning the coastlines of 27 countries, including the Gulf, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Oman and parts of the Indian Ocean.

Plans for expansion of the base had been in the pipeline since 2003 as operational requirements increased after the September 11 attacks.

The first phase of the upgrade is set to be completed in the autumn of 2012.