45 international navies coming to Pakistan for ‘Aman 21’ - (China, USA, Russia, Turkey, Malaysia etc etc)

[Mohamed Bin Tughlaq]

45 international navies coming to Pakistan for ‘Aman 21’

Pakistan Navy to host largest international maritime exercise

Islamabad: The Pakistan Navy is all set to host the largest multinational maritime exercise ‘Aman 21’ in the North Arabian Sea in February 2021 with a mission to attain regional peace and counter maritime challenges.
More than 45 countries including the world’s top navies will take part in the 7th exercise of the series held every two years since 2007. What makes this year’s exercise more significant is that it brings the three largest navies, US, China and Russia, under one platform for collaborative maritime security. This will be the first time in a decade that Russia will participate in a joint military exercise with NATO members.

Together for peace

Pakistan Navy’s Aman (Peace) exercise under the motto ‘Together for Peace’ aims to strengthen and develop naval cooperation among the world navies to promote regional stability and counter maritime threats.
It offers the participating counties a chance to “work together keeping differences aside to defeat common adversaries” and hybrid warfare such as terrorism, piracy, terrorism, drugs and arms trafficking, human smuggling, climate change, Pakistan Navy Chief Admiral Amjad Khan Niazi said.

“Aman Exercise is about bridging gaps and making it possible to operate together in pursuance of shared objectives”, the admiral said.

Aman Exercise objectives:
· Contribute to regional peace and stability.
· United resolve against terrorism, crimes and other threats in the maritime domain.
· Bridge the gap and enhance interoperability between regional and extra-regional navies with Pakistan Navy acting as a bridge in the region.

Aims and achievements – from 2007 to 2021
Pakistan Navy initiated the exercise in 2007 with only three participants but the message of collaborative maritime security was widely accepted and the participation greatly expanded.


As many as 46 countries and 115 observers participated in Aman-19 naval exercises and around 11 navies, including those of China, US, UK, Australia, Turkey, Italy, Malaysia, Oman, Sri Lanka participated with their warships.
“It is a huge achievement for Pakistan Navy that the number of participating countries grew immensely in a few years as the message of peace and collaboration appealed to both eastern and western navies, NATO and non-NATO members” said Commodore (R) Syed Mohammed Obaidullah while talking to Gulf News. In comparison to India’s Malabar Exercise, which started in 1992 and attracted only three navies, “Pakistan’s Aman Exercise garnered global recognition as it is not against any

country and benefits all states,” he added.
The exercise should “not be seen as war games but drills against non-traditional security threats as the primary goal of Aman exercise is to uphold peace and stability in the region”, Obaidullah stressed.


Aman – Platform for Navies in pursuit of peace
Aman exercises are the embodiment of the country’s commitment to peace and stability in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) through cooperation between the navies of East and West that share the common goal of peace.
With the growing competition between China and United States in the region, “Pakistan has chosen to act as a bridge in the region due to its traditional role as a peacemaker in maritime domain” says Dr Khurram Iqbal, head of International Relations department at National Defence University (NDU), Islamabad.


Through the Aman exercise, Pakistan “will once again play the role of a peacemaker and provide a platform for China and Russia on one side and US and allies on the other side to come together.”

Aman exercise and the IOR
The exercise is also an enabler of Pakistan Navy’s ambitions of transforming into a blue water force as it is in the process of equipping itself with the modern surface, airborne, submerged and unmanned systems to develop capabilities to play a greater role in the Indian Ocean Region.
Pakistan’s unique geostrategic importance has further elevated with the development of the new Gwadar Port under the multi-billion dollar China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which calls for enhanced maritime security.


Gwadar port is located close to the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important oil transit chokepoint, and connects three regions South Asia, Middle East and Central Asia. Pakistan Navy’s initiatives such as Aman exercise are also vital to secure the national and global sea routes in the IOR, country’s maritime security, and overall national security, experts say.
· Indian Ocean is one of the vital global trade arteries.

· More than 80% of the world’s oil shipment passes through the region.
· Region is home to 2.7 billion people and world’s fastest growing economies.
· IOR is rich in natural resources.
· One of the world’s most significant regions due to its geological, political, economic, and strategic features.

45 international navies coming to Pakistan for ‘Aman 21’

Pakistan Navy to host largest international maritime exercise

gulfnews.com

 

[Mohamed Bin Tughlaq]

45 international navies converging in Karachi for AMAN-21

KARACHI: The Pakistan Navy is hosting 45 international navies for Naval Exercise AMAN-21 from Feb 11-17th to hone in collaborative response for global maritime domain fraught with traditional and non-traditional challenges


This was formally announced on Monday at the Pakistan Navy Fleet Headquarters, Karachi by Commander Pakistan Fleet Rear Admiral Naveed Ashraf during a media briefing. Exercise AMAN is the seventh multinational naval exercise being hosted by Pakistan at the concurrence of strategic west Indian ocean connecting Africa, Middle East, South Asia criss-crossing strategic SLOCs with critical chokepoints. With the slogan of ‘Together for Peace’ AMAN-21 is being conducted on a biennial basis by the Pakistan Navy to project soft image of Pakistan. The exercise contributes towards regional peace and stability, resolve against terrorism in maritime domain, collaboration to maintain safe and sustainable maritime realm and above all enhance interoperability between regional and extra regional navies.

Rear Admiral Naveed Ashraf said Pakistan has remained steadfast in fighting the forces of terror and tyranny with countless sacrifices and losses.He said the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has added yet another dimension to the already complex security milieu. However, timely and correct decisions of our leadership have kept us stable. Pakistan has remained a responsible state and shall continue to play its role amid diversified challenges. Like any maritime nation, Pakistan has substantial stakes in the maritime domain. Our interest in safer and crime-free seas is rooted into three conspicuous realities: Firstly, our extraordinary dependence on the seas for trade, secondly operationalization of CPEC project; and lastly our strategic location astride the global energy highway.

Cumulatively, these realities make the maritime stability as an important agenda of our national security. As we truly believe in the centuries old dictum that ‘Sea unites while Land divides’, Pakistan considers that maritime security is not just important for itself but for all other countries whose prosperity and progress are strongly bonded with the seas, the commander Pakistan Fleet said

While operating together, we must be mindful that contemporary global maritime environment remains fraught with traditional and non-traditional challenges which require collaborative response by friendly navies. No country can single handedly tackle the diverse threats that exist or the new ones that emanate on daily basis.

Commander Pakistan Fleet also highlighted that Pakistan Navy is a firm believer in the concept of having Collaborative Maritime Security and therefore has been actively participating in Maritime and Counter Piracy Operations along with other partner navies since 2004. Since 2018, Pakistan Navy is undertaking Regional Maritime Security Patrols, in which our ships maintain near permanent presence in vital sea areas in the Indian Ocean Region to contribute towards maintaining good order at sea. AMAN platform provides enormous opportunities to the participants for contriving the contours of such a collective response. In this regard, Exercise AMAN-21 is an effort to foster regional camaraderie, boost interoperability and exhibit a ‘united resolve against multifaceted threats.

With 45 countries including rivals US, Russia, China, Turkey and participating navies from Africa, Middle East, Central Asia and rest of the globe, Aman has become the showcase of Collaborative Maritime Security which is Scarlet Thread to ensure peace and stability in the region. 135 observers are also visiting Karachi for the entire week to review the harbour and sea phase of Aman -21. International Maritime Conference is another major event to be held during the multinational exercise.The navies are participating with surface and air assets, Special Operation Forces, marine teams and senior officers. The harbour activities would include seminars, discussions, demonstrations and international get-togethers. The sea phase would have tactical manoeuvres on anti-piracy, counterterrorism, gunnery firing and search & rescue. Hallmark of the sea phase and Exercise AMAN - 21 would be International Fleet Review, witnessed by national and foreign dignitaries.

Admiral Naveed Ashraf also emphasized that Exercise AMAN-21 will provide a common forum for information sharing, mutual understanding and identifying the areas of common interests for all participating navies to achieve mutual goal of maintaining stability, peace and prosperity. He added that the exercise is a reflection that nations can play a constructive role in building new ties, establishing innovative relationships and strengthening existing ones. The Admiral also underlined that Exercise AMAN is about bridging gaps and making it possible to operate together in pursuance of common objectives and effective media coverage will project real essence of exercise at par with its theme ‘Together for Peace’ and Pakistan Navy’s contribution towards promoting peace at sea.