Indiana National Guard announces partnership with Saudi Arabia

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana National Guard announced a partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Gen. Steve Nordhaus and Brig. Gen. Larry Muennich traveled to Saudi Arabia to sign the deal, which is part of the Department of Defense’s State Partnership Program. The agreement also includes the Oklahoma National Guard.

The delegation signed the deal in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital city.

The Defense Department program pairs U.S. states with foreign nations. It aims to “enhance mutual relationships and promote defense and security cooperation objectives established by the United States and its partners.”

At its heart, the program is intended to foster stronger relationships with other countries while developing “military inoperability.”

The Indiana National Guard’s experience with disaster relief, domestic operations and overseas missions are a good fit for the program’s goals of supporting diplomatic, development and security efforts.

“I am extremely proud of the Indiana National Guard for being selected to partner with a strategic ally in the Middle East region,” said Muennich, Indiana’s adjutant general. “The National Guard is a global force with local roots, and I’m excited for this new opportunity.”

The State Partnership Program has built relationships with 115 nations through 106 partnerships across three decades. Saudi Arabia is the 11^th Middle Eastern country to join.

The Indiana National Guard outlined three goals of its agreement with Saudi Arabia:

• Facilitating air exercises and participation in coordination with U.S. Air Force Central Command
• Strengthening military readiness through shared training and best practices
• Promoting interoperability between forces to address regional security challenges effectively and efficiently

The Indiana National Guard has partnered with Slovakia for more than 30 years and also has a partnership with Niger. The Oklahoma National Guard has a partnership with Azerbaijan.