Maritime security, integrated air and missile defense and cyber security are three areas “ripe” for greater cooperation in the Persian Gulf region, according to a Defense Department official.
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Middle East Policy Matthew Spence said Sept. 29 greater cooperation is a long-term approach to addressing common issues in the region in addition to immediate needs. Spence said, for example, if the Straits of Hormuz were closed, it would pose problems to not only the Arab countries in the region, but the United States as well.
Spense said it is as simple as starting conversation and building relationships before getting into weapons platforms.
“Rather than going right to a conversation about what are the capabilities…let’s first start with a conversation about how we see the region,” Spence told an audience at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) think tank in downtown Washington.
One example of a long-term approach to addressing common issues is a massive international mine countermeasure exercise slated to begin Oct. 27. More than 40 nations spanning six continents will participate in the International Mine Countermeasures Exercise (IMCMEX), a defensive maritime exercise to be held in the international waterways of the Middle East, according to a Navy statement.
Hosted by the Navy, IMCMEX will be conducted in four phases: staff build-up and integration; table top discussions and system verifications; at-sea mine countermeasure, maritime infrastructure protection and maritime security operations and a re-integration phase where participants discuss best practices and lessons learned for future exercises.
Operations will include mine countermeasures; diving operations; small-boat exercises; maritime security operations coordinated with industry and commercial shipping; unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) operations; port clearance tactics and a visit, board search and seizure seminar.
Spence called IMCMEX the largest countermine maritime exercise to ever take place.
“These are the types of things that we need to start by building slow and steady work,” Spence said.