The Eager Lion 2019 military exercise kicked off in Jordan on Sunday with the participation of 29 countries, including Saudi Arabia. Some 8,000 military personnel will take part in the exercise that will end on September 5. The United States, Britain, France and Germany are also involved. The drill will see training on counter-terrorism and border security, rapid response, traditional and non-traditional warfare, land and marine border operations, search and rescue operations within enemy lines and confronting cyber and weapons of mass destruction attacks. Commander of the Saudi forces participating in the exercise Brigadier General Jaafar bin Hadi Al-Qahtani said that the exercise aims to develop the participants ability to plan and execute joint operations. According to the drills media spokesperson Brigadier General Mohammed Thalji, the exercise addresses security challenges confronting the region and world, including refugee problems, epidemics and shortage of food. It will help bolster the capabilities of the various armed forces in working together to confront a common enemy. Eager Lion is an annual joint exercise that has been held in Jordan since 2011.