Bahrain has established itself as a maritime security leader by bringing together different navies to discuss shared goals and challenges, according to a top US Navy official.
Juffair-based US Navy’s Fifth Fleet Commander Vice Admiral George Wikoff praised the kingdom for being ‘a long-time supporter of maritime security’.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the International Maritime Exercise (IMX) 2025’s closing ceremony at the Gulf Convention Centre yesterday.
“We are tremendously supported by the Kingdom of Bahrain and not only do they host the US Fifth Fleet but also the 46-nation naval partnership- Combined Maritime Forces which functions here,” Vice Adm Wikoff told the GDN.
“I think Bahrain has established themselves as a maritime security leader, and they really play a larger role in bringing countries together that would normally not work together.”
The IMX kicked off in two locations – Bahrain and Jordan – last week with more than 5,000 personnel from over 35 nations (including Bahrain), and international organisations taking part. The 12-day exercise was designed to bring together navies to strengthen their capabilities and showcase regional maritime co-operation.
Vice Adm Wikoff said that mariners and sailors want stability in the region which faces several security challenges in the maritime domain. The threat of sea mines can affect naval operations and movement of ships, and continues to be one of the biggest military challenges if deployed by an adversary.
IMX featured exchanges on sea mine countermeasures, search and seizure, vessel defence, mass casualty response, unmanned systems and artificial intelligence (AI) integration.
“We continue to explore the area of unmanned or remotely manned systems,” added Vice Adm Wikoff. “Unmanned sensors are improving our ability (in terms of collecting large amount of data at sea) and helps to stay on station for extended periods of time, because you’re not worried about human factors that are involved.”
The GDN previously reported that US Navy in Bahrain deployed sea drones as part of its digital ocean drive. Unmanned surface vessels (USVs) have also been introduced in the regional waters. The fleet was set up under the Juffair-based Task Force 59 (TF-59).
An unmanned system, or vehicle (UV), is controlled by a remote pilot and can navigate autonomously based on pre-programmed plans or specific targets.
TF-59 replaced the traditional naval operations of deploying an aircraft carrier with thousands of sailors on board with a well-equipped sea drone that can patrol for days and transmit live imagery or unusual movements to the headquarters.
Vice Adm Wikoff added that TF59 continues to carry out its mandate alongside international partners.
He also spoke about the growing threat of cyberattacks and the integration of AI.
“We hope to rapidly assess threats, identify, alert and stop them. This is one area where we see AI as a great promise for being a cyber protection tool,” he said.
“Our sensors collect so much data and with AI, we are hoping to accelerate our ability to get through that data and find out what’s important. We’re not chasing every single thing out there. We’re only going after things that we know are abnormal.”
The US Fifth Fleet area of operations encompasses about 2.5 million square miles of water area and includes the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean. The expanse comprises 20 countries and includes 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.
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