100 unmanned vessels to patrol GCC regional waters: US Commander

TDT | Manama                 

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com 

Over 100 unmanned vessels will patrol the regional waters of the GCC next year.

General Michael Kurilla, US Naval Forces Central Command Commander, said this in a session on Defence Modernisation and New Technologies, at the 18th International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Regional Security Summit: The Manama Dialogue 2022.

The new security initiative, the US General said, is part of beefing up the security plan and the surveillance in the Gulf waters while collaborating with partners in the region.

The strategy also includes building an experimentation programme here in the Middle East with regional partners to defeat adversary drones.

General Kurilla said Task Force 59 here in Bahrain is using AI-based technology and enhancing it across the region.

Bahrain and Jordan are the only two regional hubs for the task force.

Task Force 9, the groundbased innovation task force, will test concepts and technology toward a fleet of unmanned land vehicles that allows using manned ground vehicles more effectively, he said.

“We have the technological capability right now to rapidly improved maritime domain awareness and build an integrated unmanned and artificial intelligence network to achieve safer seas and stronger protection for global trade,” he explained.

Kurilla stressed the importance of international and regional partners for the success of this strategy.

“Just last month, Bahrain participated in a naval drill in the Gulf where seven crewed ships from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Kingdom and the United States teamed with unmanned systems.

This is one of many examples that underscore that our forces are realizing the future right now – and doing it together,” he said.

He added: “At least 80 % of these unmanned vessels will come from our partnered forces.

The number of partnered countries continues to grow and they are part of the TF 59 operational force and part of the TF 59 staff.”