Kuwaiti newspaper Alshahed has reported that secret talks took place on creating a joint force of 500,000 military personnel with sophisticated defence systems and weaponry, in addition to 300 military aircraft and F-15 Apache helicopters, said Gulf Daily News (GDN).
The idea was allegedly discussed during a meeting of GCC Defence Ministers in Kuwait, although the report could not be confirmed.
According to the Kuwaiti newspaper, the proposal was made to counter threats from terrorist groups such as the Islamic State (ISIS) and Al Qaeda.
The GCC countries include the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Qatar, Kingdom of Bahrain, and Sultanate of Oman.
In 1984, the Gulf Cooperation Council created a joint military force of 10,000 soldiers divided into two brigades, called the Peninsula Shield Force, based in Saudi Arabia near the Kuwaiti and Iraqi borders. The force is composed of infantry, armor, artillery, and combat support elements from each of the GCC countries.
As of March 2011, the Peninsula Shield Force has about 40,000 troops and continues to have its permanent base at King Khalid Military City near Hafar al Batin.
Source: Alshahed; GDN; Wikipedia
