Iran Unveils New Naval Drone

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Navy unveiled a homegrown combat drone on Saturday.

The unmanned aerial vehicle, dubbed Simorgh, was unveiled at a ceremony in the southeastern coastal city of Konarak, attended by Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi.

With a flight endurance of 24 hours, the drone can be used for combat, reconnaissance, and tactical operations, and electronic warfare.

Simorgh has a range of 1,500 kilometers and a service ceiling of 25,000 feet. It is the naval version of Shahed-129, a powerful combat drone that was mass-produced in 2013.

Shahed-129 is now in service in the fight against drug-traffickers and terrorists, patrol and reconnaissance missions along the territorial and sea borders, environmental operations, and for taking aerial images.

The combat version of Shahed-129 can carry a payload of 8 bombs or smart missiles and is designed to hit both fixed and mobile targets.

Source: tasnimnews.com

Iran plans to raise Hormuz peace initiative at IMO summit in London

The managing director of Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization, has said that the Iranian delegation plans to put forward the Hormuz peace initiative at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) summit in London.

In an interview with the IRIB on Monday, Mohammad Rastad said that security in the region must be maintained by the regional countries.

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Source: hellenicshippingnews.com

Mysteries of the Middle East Gulf: proxies, drones and spoofing

by Craig Jallal

New Coalition In Gulf May Not Fare As Well As Old One – Analysis

By YaleGlobal Online

Operational Sentinel patrols the Strait of Hormuz, yet regional rivalries and the international coalition’s makeup could escalate tensions.

By Gregory Clough and Morgan D. Bazilian*

Renewed conflict in the Strait of Hormuz pushed the United States to establish an international coalition for maritime security to ensure safe passage of shipping traffic and guarding against further disruption in oil supplies. While such security coalitions have been successful in the past, applying the same approach in the Middle East may not improve conditions and may even exacerbate tensions.

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Source: eurasiareview.com

Kenya committed to meeting maritime framework expectations

His Excellency Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta the President and Commander-in -Chief of the the Kenya Defence Forces at the officiall launch of the Kenya Coast Guard Service (KCGS) in 2018

Multi agency cooperation remains the only way to address maritime crimes as it sends a strong and unified message to pirates and other organized criminals to cease their illegal trade.

Speaking during a Regional meeting on “Capacity Building Coordination for Enhanced Maritime Security in the West Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden and Donor Forum”at a Mombasa hotel, defense Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo said progress has been made to enhance Maritime domain awareness through multi agency collaboration.

“I have observed directly the benefits that have accrued from the Maritime code of conduct appended in Djibouti by member states geared towards near eradication of piracy,” said Omamo.

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Source: kbc.co.ke

UAE takes over the chair of IORA

Ismail Sebugwaawo

Piracy, armed robbery, drug smuggling and human trafficking are some of the major challenges faced in the Indian Ocean waters, according to members of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).

Speaking at a Press conference on the sidelines of the 19th meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) that concluded in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, Khurshed Alam, secretary of the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs and deputy secretary-general of the IORA, said almost 40,000 ships are passing through the waters of Indian Ocean daily.

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Source: khaleejtimes.com

Iranian Naval Flotilla Begins Overseas Mission

Iranian Navy ships in Velayat-90 military exercise, by Mohammad Sadegh Heydari via Wikipedia

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Iranian Navy’s 64th flotilla departed the country’s southern coast on Tuesday for a mission in international waters.

The Iranian “intelligence-combat” flotilla includes a destroyer, dubbed Alvand, and the Bandar Abbas logistical warship.

The flotilla set sail for the high seas immediately after the return of the 63rd naval flotilla, which traveled 15,000 nautical miles in international waters during a 100-day mission.

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Source: tasnimnews.com

EU-funded exercise to boost maritime security cooperation

Through the MASE programme funded by the European Union, the Indian Ocean Commission organised the first MASE POLMAR 2019 wide-ranging regional exercise from 16 to 20 October in Madagascar.

The event brought together representatives of the MASE agreements’ signatories countries: Comoros, Djibouti, France, Reunion Island, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and Somalia as an observer, International liaison officers and watch-standers from the Regional Maritime Information Fusion Centre and the Regional Coordination of Operation Centre, as well as a representative of the European Navy – EUNAVFOR.

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Source: neweurope.eu

Japan notifies US of plan to send defence forces to Middle East

TOKYO — Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi on Tuesday informed the United States’ government that Tokyo plans to send defence forces to help safeguard waterways in the Middle East without joining a US-led maritime security coalition, Japanese officials said.

During phone talks between Motegi and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the two also pledged close co-operation on Middle East issues so as to ease tensions, which remain high amid a standoff between the US and Iran.

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Source: vietnamnews.vn

RAAF deploys P-8A Poseidon to Middle East for maritime security

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has deployed a P-8A Poseidon aircraft to the Middle East in support of a US-led internal maritime security coalition.

Australia is a member of the International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC), which includes the US, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UK.

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Source: airforce-technology.com