A joint GCC maritime drill "Ittihad (Union) 18" kicked off in Bahrain today at Salman Naval Base. The military exercise, which is jointly carried out by the Royal Bahrain Naval Force (RBNF) and the GCC naval forces, will continue till March 16 and aims to boost the combat readiness and the spirit of cooperation in facing challenges and unifying the concept of joint operations to protect sea borders and fight terrorism.