The US Navy (USN) has demonstrated the integration of crewed and uncrewed platforms, drawn from several different USN maritime task groups, to generate enhanced maritime security in routine operations at sea in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
In September, task forces coming under the operational command of US 5th Fleet integrated 12 uncrewed platforms – including uncrewed aerial, surface, and sub-surface systems (UAVs, USVs, and UUVs) – with crewed air and surface platforms to conduct maritime security surveillance of Iranian Navy and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy ships and small boats, with patrols taking place over a period of several days.
The operation was designed to bolster presence in and around a critical chokepoint where, in recent months, Iran has seized internationally flagged merchant ships, US Naval Forces Central Command (US NAVCENT) said in a statement.
“The integration of new, multi-domain uncrewed platforms into routine fleet operations provides more ‘eyes on the water,’ enhancing maritime domain awareness and increasing deterrence in the region,” Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, Commander US 5th Fleet and US NAVCENT, said in the statement. “This enhanced maritime security serves as a deterrent against malign activity and strengthens regional stability.”
The operations were conducted using personnel and platforms from Task Force 51/5 (amphibious/marine), Task Force 52 (mine countermeasures), Task Force 53 (logistics), Task Force 55 (surface warfare), Task Force 56 (expeditionary), Task Force 57 (patrol/reconnaissance), and Task Force 59 (uncrewed/artificial intelligence).
The USN has been operating UAVs and USVs in the region for some time. Going forward, operating crewed and uncrewed platforms together within integrated fleet operations is how the navy intends to work, the statement added.
The US 5th Fleet/US NAVCENT area of operations encompasses the Gulf, Gulf of Oman, the Arabian Sea, northern parts of the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Aden, and the Red Sea, and includes the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab-el-Mandeb straits, and the Suez Canal maritime choke points.
by Dr. Lee Willett, London
