Pakistan Navy's multinational Maritime Exercise AMAN-23 will begin in Karachi from Friday.

The five-day exercise will involve participation of over 50 countries with ships, aircrafts, Special Ops Forces Marine teams and observers.

Briefing newsmen about the exercise, Commander Pakistan Fleet Vice Admiral Ovais Ahmed Bilgrami said this is the 8th edition of the exercise and has been divided into harbor and sea phases.

The harbour phase involves activities such as seminars, operational discussions, professional demonstrations, international get together and pre-sail planning of evolutions at sea.

The sea phase would include tactical manoeuvres, exercises related to maritime security such as anti-piracy and counter terrorism, search and rescue, gunnery firings and air defence exercises.

The Commander Pakistan Fleet emphasized that the exercise is aimed at providing a forum for understanding maritime concepts and operational cultures, enhancing interoperability as well as identifying ways and means to combat common threats at sea.