COMBINED MARITIME FORCES
How to grapple with criminals engaged in smuggling and piracy was the subject of a Combined Maritime Forces seminar to improve ship-boarding tactics in the Arabian Gulf.
Officers from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, as well those from Jordan and Pakistan, took part in a three-day event in December 2013 that concluded with a demonstration of participants’ skills and knowledge.
Exchanging information was the main goal of the seminar, said Jordanian Navy Lt. Cmdr. Adel Mani, who helped organize the event. “It’s a very brief event for such a huge subject, but it was a good opportunity for the participants to share experiences and learn about the boarding techniques used by other GCC nations. The aim is also to make friends. I can say we have achieved that and, most importantly, the participants have enjoyed their stay in Bahrain.”
The training was hosted by the U.S. Coast Guard, and the practical assessment took place at Mina Salman Port, Manama, Bahrain. “Participants getting to know each other at this level is what builds coalitions,” said Commodore Robert Hendrickson, commander of U.S. Coast Guard Patrol Forces Southwest Asia. “This is the end state — sharing knowledge and resources for one common goal.
Qatari Navy Lt. Essa Al Tamimi agreed: “It has been a very useful course. The lectures gave us an idea of the challenges faced to detect smuggling and piracy, and there were a few real stories to give a better view of what’s going on at sea.”
Pakistan Navy Sub Lt. Mohammad Ahmed, a qualified boarding officer, often carries out boarding operations to protect fisheries and stop narcotics and human trafficking. What made the training useful for him was learning from the experiences of his multinational colleagues. “This has been a great exchange of tactics and a chance to share our different practices in a practical environment,” he said.
During one of the scenarios, teams boarded a suspicious vessel and searched for hidden narcotics and clues suggesting criminality, such as false or incomplete documentation.
“I’ve gained a lot from the experience and made a lot of friends,” said Jordanian 2nd Lt. Ahmad Alqatawneh. “This has helped us all enhance our boarding skills, so we can now transfer that knowledge to our own units.”