The interconnectedness of nations has globalized maritime affairs, increasing their significance more than ever. The increasing activities conducted via sea routes have their pros as well as cons when it comes to geostrategic significance and security in terms of national and international waters.
One of such efforts was the IMX 22, a multinational maritime exercise under the U.S Naval Force Central Command (NAVCENT) determined to provide tools for promoting regional and global peace and security. The aim of IMX 22 was to maintain freedom of navigation and free flow of commerce throughout the region’s diverse maritime environment.
IMX 22 provided a noteworthy opportunity for the Pakistan Navy to contribute towards maritime security and to enhance interoperability with regional navies while mitigating non-traditional threats prevalent in the maritime environment. In addition to providing naval assets, the Pakistan Navy also assumed duties of Deputy Commander for the exercise. However, the US invitation to Israel for joining the exercise got many to speculate about the unnecessary prospects of Pakistan and Israel’s collaboration.
Pakistan is a zealous contributor to maritime security. It has not just participated in international exercises such as CTF but also has hosted an exercise AMAN in order to counter the growing maritime threats all the while being applauded to bring nations together. IMX 22 was also initiated to deter the illicit activities in the region.
IMX 2022 was an 18-day biyearly naval training event led by US Naval Forces Central Command. It was combined with Exercise Cutlass Express (CE) led by US Naval Forces Europe-Africa in East African coastal regions and the West Indian Ocean.
Policies are not decided by Navies, they are brought into legislation by the government. Navies are responsible for maintaining a safe and secure maritime environment. As being a part of IMX 22, we wish that Pakistan’s outstanding contribution in the exercise brings more praise for the country for raising flags of peace and maritime security in the region.
The exercise was a combination of the combined training of 9,000 personnel and up to 50 ships from more than 60 partner nations and international organizations. IMX 2022 was not only the largest multinational naval exercise in the Middle East but also the largest unmanned maritime exercise in the world with more than 80 unmanned systems from 10 nations participating. Task Force X was dedicated towards the unmanned Task Force which led to the unmanned systems and works across the other task force commanders through a series of 14 plans serial, also known as training scenarios.
Pakistan was esteemed to be a part of IMX 22 as the deputy commander. Such opportunities do not come time and again for Pakistan to develop its global image. Since Pakistan has been untiringly dedicated to maritime security, the participation in the exercise has only helped portray a better facet of its image and stress its historical contributions of spreading peace. Its participation has raised many questions of its collaboration with Israel.
International organizations work towards the collective good and therefore neither state has any plans for further collaboration. The participation in IMX 22 will not bring forward any collaboration between the two countries. Participating in international coalitions has never been a platform to bring countries together unwillingly. One such example is the United Nations. The United Nations has so many member states including Israel and the country’s other nemesis which has not affected any of Pakistan’s involvement whatsoever. Such international coalitions aim for countries to co-exist and fight commonly faced illicit activities. Such was the purpose of the IMX 22.
In the course of a conversation with a naval expert, he stated, “We cannot put ourselves into isolation”. IMX 22 was solely dedicated to securing the region from the non-traditional threats present in the regional waters. In order to stop illicit activities such as piracy, smuggling arms and ammunitions, drugs, and human trafficking and to secure the energy lines, every country in the region is assigned the role of a policeman by the USA. The Naval experts also highlighted that the type of participation Israel and its activity area was restricted to the Red Sea whereas in the exercise Pakistan’s area of concern was centered on the Arabian Sea.
Both countries were present in the exercise but had participated in different groups based on their own area of concern. Also, it was not just Pakistan, but many Muslim countries were also a part of the exercise such as Bahrain where the headquarters of the exercise is based, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Oman, Sudan, Jordan, Egypt, Bangladesh, and many other countries falling in the region. All these countries share a similar interest of protecting and securing the maritime environment close to their region from non-traditional threats.
Questions also have surfaced that whether or not Pakistan should have been a part of the exercise. The US 5th Fleet area of operations encompasses nearly 2.5 million square miles of water area and includes the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean. The region comprises 20 countries and includes three critical chokepoints at the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal, and the Strait of Bab-al-Mandeb at the southern tip of Yemen.
Pakistan is a vertical state with its feet in the Arabian Sea. The geostrategic significance of the country is such that with Gwadar and Gomera, all the important energy and oil transport takes place through the Arabian Sea. Not only is the country politically consequential but its sea routes are equally crucial and need to be secured. With such exceptional positioning, Pakistan was also in a respected position as the deputy commandant of the U.S IMX 22 which gave more reason for its participation. If the participation was given up, the position of deputy commandant may have fallen upon any of Pakistan’s nemeses which may have created further tensions for the country’s very own maritime security.
In conversation with the naval expert on the matter of Pakistan and Israel mingling in the exercise, he stated, “Participation of Pakistan Navy has no regional or religious connotations, nor does it hold any influence in changing the foreign policy of the country by participating in IMX 22. Pakistan Navy will continue to maintain its historical role as provider of maritime security and torchbearer of peace in the region.”
Policies are not decided by Navies, they are brought into legislation by the government. Navies are responsible for maintaining a safe and secure maritime environment. As being a part of IMX 22, we wish that Pakistan’s outstanding contribution in the exercise brings more praise for the country for raising flags of peace and maritime security in the region.
