Protecting Waterways

A broad naval coalition from the Arabian Gulf to Pakistan helps secure the seas

UNIPATH STAFF

When Pakistan took command of Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 in August 2016, it marked yet another instance when the nation has assumed a leadership role in naval missions to defend the waters in and around the Indian Ocean, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman and Red Sea. In all, Pakistan has assumed the role more than 10 times.

“It is an honor for me to take over CTF 150. The Pakistan-led CTF 150 will continue to combat terrorists and illegal activities. This area is crucial for maritime trade, and it would be economically crippling if this area was not protected,” Commodore Bilal Abdul Nasir of the Pakistan Navy said.

What makes this even more remarkable is that Pakistan, a dedicated participant in the Combined Maritime Forces mission based out of Manama, Bahrain, sits on the periphery of the Middle East, where most of the operations are focused.

A few months earlier, in April 2016, Pakistan had completed another stint commanding a related task force called CTF 151, established in 2009 to counter piracy near Yemen. And even in the Arabian Gulf, where CTF 152 holds sway, Pakistan supplied ships and Sailors to a major maritime exercise in the spring of 2016: the International Mine Countermeasures Exercise (IMCMEX).

Right: Pakistani warships perform a counterterrorism drill with assistance from the U.S. and other coalition partners in the Arabian Sea. AFP/Getty Images

“The defense forces of Pakistan are contributing actively in the Global War on Terror. In the maritime domain, the Pakistan Navy is contributing significantly toward counterterrorism efforts of the U.S.-led Coalition Force,” Pakistan’s Ministry of Defense noted in 2016.

The regional naval coalition — which has included participation from the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) — has racked up many successes since 2001.

It has protected the passage of thousands of cargo ships and oil tankers through vital sea lanes such as the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb, seized illegal drugs and other contraband from smugglers and blocked arms shipments destined for terrorists and Houthi rebels in Yemen.

In April 2016, Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait joined multinational forces participating in IMCMEX, focused largely on detecting, clearing and disarming undersea mines. Drills stretched from the Red Sea to the northern rim of the Arabian Gulf. A Regional Marine Symposium in Manama drawing on many of the same countries occurred the same month.

Falcon Warrior, a Gulf-based exercise that occurred in July 2016, drew participants from the United Arab Emirates Navy, the Royal Saudi Naval Forces and Coast Guard, the United States and the United Kingdom. Its main focus was visit, board, search and seizure training.

To instill a united sense of purpose, combined task force commanders routinely visit nations adjacent to their areas of responsibility. In June 2016, Rear Adm. Ken Cheong of Singapore, then-commander of CTF 151, called on Abdullah bin Khamis bin Abdullah al-Raisi, commander of the Royal Navy of Oman, to discuss their mutual interest in protecting trading and fishing vessels against pirates.

CTF 152’s commander, Col. Nayef Alasker of Kuwait, visited the UAE in June 2016 to meet Director of Naval Operations Gen. Abdula Al-Shahi and Commander Salem Al-Kendi of the UAE Coast Guard.

A focus of concern was the nearly 1,000 oil and energy installations in the Gulf. But less-well-known issues also absorbed their conversation, including boats that ply the seas smuggling charcoal that helps finance terrorist operations.

“CTF 152 has a good relationship with them, and they always welcome us warmly,” Col. Alasker said of his UAE counterparts.

Multinational task forces such as CTF 151 have won notable victories against Somali-based piracy in the past few years, but naval commanders continue to demand vigilance lest the problem re-emerge in a different form.

As he relinquished command of CTF 151 in April 2016 to Rear Adm. Cheong, Rear Adm. Zahid Ilyas of Pakistan noted that nations are passing through unpredictable times in which criminals on the seas threaten energy shipments, freedom of navigation, and global security and stability.

“No one nation alone can resolve this menace, as piracy is a shared challenge which can only be addressed through collaborative and comprehensive international efforts,” he said.

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