US Completes Large-Scale Middle East Exercise, Even with Amphibious Forces Stretched

Although officials insisted the annual multinational Eager Lion exercise that ended here Sunday was unrelated to sectarian violence across Jordan’s borders, regional tensions nonetheless affected the course of the two-week exercise.

Just days after the exercise began, the USS Bataan was ordered to the coast of Libya to be ready for a possible evacuation of U.S. personnel amid escalating fighting there.

Officials said the ship’s departure had minimal impact on the exercise. […]