EVOLVING maritime threats that hinder freedom of navigation or free flow of goods, and rogue drones will be addressed during a major naval exercise which is being held early next year.
Bahrain will be taking part in the International Maritime Exercise (IMX) 22 which is being hosted by the US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) in Bahrain for two weeks in January.
Sixty other nations are expected to take part in the drill.
The annual exercise, which was first conducted in 2012, was originally scheduled to be held this year but was postponed due to health and safety concerns amidst the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic.
“We expect the International Maritime Exercise 22 to feature more than 60 nations and international organisations,” Fifth Fleet spokesman Commander Tim Hawkins told the GDN.
“The exercise will feature extensive use of unmanned systems in various operational scenarios designed to challenge the technology in a dynamic environment and ultimately enhance partner capabilities.”
The drills are taking place during the same period when Russia, Iran and China will hold joint maritime exercises in the Arabian Gulf in late 2021 or early 2022, Russia’s ambassador to Tehran was quoted as saying by the Russian state agency RIA.
NAVCENT recently opened the main planning conference ahead of the main event and was attended by 100 in-person participants from 21 nations while others tuned in virtually from various countries. “With more than 100 people from 21 nations, I think together we represent the ability to really design and execute the most robust exercise we have seen in this region,” added Fifth Fleet commander Vice Admiral Brad Cooper.
“Our strength is in our collective partnership that we share with all of you.”
IMX 22 is designed to prepare regional and international navies to maintain freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce throughout the region’s diverse maritime environment, and to build interoperability between partner nations.
The GDN reported that the world’s largest helicopter and one of the UK’s biggest auxiliary ships took part in a major drill during IMX 19.
The Fifth Fleet’s area of operations encompasses about 2.5 million square miles and includes the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean.
It also covers three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal and the Strait of Bab Al Mandeb at the southern tip of Yemen.
sandy@gdn.com.bh
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