The plan for a missile defense system covering all the six states of the Gulf Cooperation Council, GCC - Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain - is a major step forward in military cooperation between the GCC member states, a major UAE English daily said on Monday.
In its editorial comment the Dubai-based Gulf News said the plan was "a significant" step for the six nations to share in a common project, rather than pooling their separate defense resources whenever circumstances require them to do so. "The missile project is also an important recognition that the defence of the Gulf region cannot just depend on conventional forces. The nature of war is changing and the persistent instability in the region makes it essential to maintain the best defence that technology can bring," the newspaper added.
