'US is building a culture of innovation in the Middle East'

TDT | Manama                           

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com   

Staff Reporter

The importance of carrying out innovative efforts to maximise operations across central commands by employing new technology and concepts was highlighted during a telephonic press briefing held yesterday by US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander General Michael Erik Kurilla.

Gen. Kurilla ensured that relationships between the US and Middle Eastern states are “candid, built on trust, and are constructive, to military and security success.” He emphasised the efforts to downsize the US presence in the Middle East, saying: “It is vital to cultivate deep, abiding partnerships that can serve the hedge against threats in the region, whilst deterring Iran from its destructive behaviour.

“Our people at CENTCOM are our most critical resource. We hire, invest, retain, and care for the people and their families. This concept goes beyond CENTCOM and extends to everyone working on the challenges faced by the region”.

The US is working to build on assets already acquired to create an interconnected mesh of censors that transmit real-time data, viewed together through data innovation and artificial intelligence platforms that ensure a clearer picture of the operating environment.

Gen.Kurilla said, “We are using unmanned systems, paired with artificial intelligence, to give us better information faster. This allows us to employ our man systems more efficiently and strategically.” He added that this helps achieve decision dominance and ensures more efficiency in cultivating information and using artificial intelligence to make decisions faster.

CENTCOM has recently established three innovation task forces, task force 59, task force 99, and task force 39. “The foundation of task force 59 is our unmanned vessels, both on the surface of the water and under the water. These unmanned vessels carry sensors which are collecting vast amounts of data. That data helps build a clear picture of the operating environment,” he said.

“Through task force 59, we are on a path to rapidly improve maritime threat detection, and build an integrated artificial intelligence network, to achieve stronger protection for global trade.”

Naval drill

Gen. Kurilla discussed last month that Bahrain participated in a naval drill in the Gulf, where seven crude ships from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UK, and the US teamed with unmanned systems.

“This is one of the many examples highlighting our forces working together,” he noted. Gen. Kurilla stated that by late 2023, task force 59 would have a fleet of over 100 vessels operating and communicating with all participating militaries.

“Task force 99 will detect and defeat threats to our systems and to our partners. Task force 39 is a land-based innovation task force that tests concepts and technology to include a fleet of unmanned land vehicles paired with man-ground vehicles to help and allow us to protect the force whilst maximising troop strength.”

He discussed that building a “culture of innovation” is essential whilst partners are included and encouraged on this journey. “The American commitment to the region used to be measured by boots on the ground; however, this is the old way of thinking.

Rather, it should be measured by the strengths of our regional partnership,” he explained.

Dangerous

“The region remains dangerous, and alongside our partners and the Syrian Democratic Forces, we continue to put pressure on ISIS, as they still remain a threat to the region, domestically and internationally.”

This past week, Gen. Kurilla stated that a series of raids with Syrian Democratic Force partners resulted in numerous ISIS operative capture, including a senior leader. In Iraq, the US continues to advise, assist, and enable the Iraqi security forces in the fight against ISIS. He highlighted that yesterday marked the one-year mark of the US’s transition from a combat role in Iraq.

Gen. Kurilla stated that Iran continues to violate sanctions and embargoes while proliferating weapons to its network of proxies and affiliates and ceasing shipping in international waters.

“Iran continues to spread chaos through violent proxy groups funded by Tehran. Iranian-aligned groups continuously strike at American troops and our partners in Iraq and Syria. The Iranian regime has continuously funded and aggressively supported terrorism and terrorist organisations and defied international norms, destabilising the region and global security and commerce,” he said.z