A top US Navy official has revealed plans to boost US naval operations in Bahrain.

Chief of US Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert said there were plans to bring two more coastal patrol ships in spring, along with a long-term proposal to dock littoral combat ships, in an interview with Stars and Stripes, the official newspaper of the US armed forces, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

"Construction is now underway to build more infrastructure and capacity to support the additional units on the base," he told the newspaper.

The combat ships are expected to arrive in 2018 and could replace the current fleet of minesweepers operating here, said Admiral Greenert, who is on a visit.

"Besides new equipment, more crew and families will be coming to Bahrain," he added.

Greenert stressed Bahrain's role in US Navy's Middle Eastern presence, describing the base here as its "centrepiece". He also met Minister of State for Defence Affairs Lieutenant-General Dr Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa. - TradeArabia News Service