U.S. Naval Forces Central Command started the largest maritime exercises in the Middle East on Sunday, International Maritime Exercise (IMX) and Cutlass Express (CE) 2023.
The CE23 portion of the event is led by Naval Forces Europe-Africa, which will mark an opening ceremony of its own in Djibouti on March 5.
IMX and CE include over 50 countries and international organizations operating in the Persian Gulf., Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, Indian Ocean and near the East African coast.
IMX will focus on combined command and control, maritime security, mine countermeasures, unmanned systems and artificial intelligence integration, and global health.
IMX participating countries include Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Columbia, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, India, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lebanon, Madagascar, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, the Seychelles, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, the U.S. and the U.K.
IMX is occurring in a region where the 5th Fleet continuously tests how to integrate unmanned systems and artificial intelligence systems via Task Force 59. Last year, the unit operated unmanned surface vessels (USVs) for over 25,000 hours and it has tested various unclassified commercial systems like the Saildrone Explorer, MARTAC T-38 Devil Ray, and Elbit Systems Seagull along with regional partners.
Last year, Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of 5th Fleet, said the Navy aims to have a 100-USV strong international force operating in the region by this summer to better integrate and maintain force domain awareness in the region (Defense Daily, Oct. 14, 2022).
The U.S. already has 20 USVs in the region and 5th Fleet plans for it to host about 20 percent of the total force. Kuwait and Bahrain are already committed to the USV force. 5th Fleet USVs operating in the region are largely contractor-owned, contractor-operated, with Navy oversight.
Separately, CE23 is sponsored by U.S. Africa Command and intends to assess and improve combined maritime law enforcement techniques, promote safety and security in the Western Indian Ocean, and increase interoperability. It will focus on both shore-based and at-sea training events in the eastern coast of Africa.
The subset of CE participants include Canada, Comoros, Djibouti, France, Georgia, Greece, Japan, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Tanzania, the U.K., and the U.S.
The combined exercises will include 7,000 personnel, 35 ships and more than 30 unmanned and artificial intelligence systems.
“The relationships and partnerships we build through exercises such as Cutlass Express 2023 increase our combined capabilities to respond to maritime threats in the waters surrounding Africa,” Rear Adm. Chase Patrick, director of maritime headquarters, U.S. Naval Forces Africa, said in a statement.
By teaching and learning from each other through the various scenarios, we are able to bring new ideas and techniques to the table that will lead to a safer, more prosperous environment in the Western Indian Ocean,” Patrick continued.
IMX and CE are scheduled to wrap up on March 16 and 17, respectively.