UNIPATH STAFF
Countering underwater threats from submarines and mines topped the agenda at the second Gulf Naval Commanders Conference in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in November 2013. The event brought together more than 350 military, government and industry leaders who ultimately promoted cooperation and information sharing among countries to overcome dangers.
“We’re in a region where its livelihood depends extremely on sea lanes,” said Riad Kahwaji, chief executive of the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis. “Without secured sea lanes, the region cannot live, and therefore, the priority here is for maritime security, to have strong naval capabilities that will keep them secure and open at all times.”
The conference covered a wide range of topics that impact the Arabian Gulf and beyond. Joint multinational naval patrols have recently stemmed the Somali piracy threat, but submarines and mines, being harder to detect, remain a threat.
UAE Naval Cmdr. Rear Adm. Ibrahim Al Musharrakh said the Gulf’s shallow waters inhibit the use of sonar in detecting small submarines, known as midgets.
“Offshore activities and commercial traffic generating an important underwater ambient noise make it easier for electrically propelled midgets to operate undetected,” Al Musharrakh said, according to The National. “We need to have a fair assessment of the threat they represent for us and have a perfect knowledge of their characteristics, capabilities, missions, activities, area of patrols and weaknesses.”
French Rear Adm. Antoine Beaussant, who commands his country’s forces in the Indian Ocean, agreed that shallow waters present a challenge. “The best thing to do is to eliminate the submarine threats before they go at sea, so it’s best to invest in special forces and air strikes than to invest in huge submarine forces,” Beaussant said.
Mines present another problem.
“Any mine-laying operation would significantly reduce our ability to deploy safely our naval units at sea,” Al Musharrakh said. “We need to be able to work together and concentrate our efforts along designated routes. We also need to get a permanent, up-to-date and real-time surface picture of the whole area to prevent the enemy from conducting any suspicious activities.”
Sources: Al Defaiya, Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis, and The National