Iran's turn this week to conduct a minesweeping exercise

Following a U.S. led minesweeping exercise in the Persian Gulf, Iran showcases its own minesweeping capabilities in the adjoining Sea of Oman.

IRIN Sikorsky RH-53D Sea Stallion (S-65C-4),  9-2702 (cn 65-413)

IRIN RH-53D and tethered minesweeping sled

IRIN minesweeping sled

Foreground: IRIN Hendijan class general purpose tender (MIG-S-4700)

IRIN Sea Stallion crewmember

Foreground: IRI Marines

Veteran IRIN helicopter aviator

Background: IRIN Fokker F-27-400M Troopship, 5-2601 (cn 10509)

Video:

Photos: Hassan Mousavi at Fars News Agency

U.S. Navy Leads Massive Anti-Mine Exercises in Persian Gulf

U.S. and 40 other allied navies gathered in Bahrain today to begin massive anti-mine exercises in the Persian Gulf. The International Mine Countermeasure Exercise (IMCMEX) will run through 30 May. The drills appear to be tailored to keep the shipping lanes at the Strait of Hormuz open in case of any future hostilities involving Iran.

A U.S. Navy statement released today said the IMCMEX will begin with onshore training and then move to the Gulf for maneuvers including mine-sweeping and search-and-seizure operations.

“We are very pleased to see that more than 40 nations have joined us here to take part in this opportunity to enhance international naval capability to preserve freedom of navigation in international waterways,” said Vice Admiral John W. Miller, commander of US Naval Forces Central Command and U.S. Fifth Fleet. “If 41 nations are willing to come here and practice MCM, just imagine how effective the global mine response would be if someone actually put mines in the water.” (Xinhua, 6 May)

More than 100 divers, 35 ships and 18 unmanned submarines will take part in the drills.

File photo: IMCMEX, September 2012 

U.S. and Allies to Conduct Anti-Mine Drills in Persian Gulf

The U.S. military announced today an anti-mine exercise in “the Middle East's international waterways” in May with more than 20 nations participating.

“This year's effort will reaffirm the ongoing, global cooperation that this mission enjoys with the international community's strong support for free trade,” General James Mattie, commander of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), said in a statement. (Reuters, 4 February)

The drill will be a follow-up to the IMCMEX 12 exercise held last September, by a broad coalition of states to counter any attempt Iran might make to disrupt Gulf shipping in response to an Israeli or U.S. strike on its nuclear facilities, Reuters reported.

File photo: JS Uraga, USS Pioneer and USS Ardent in IMCMEX 12 anti-mine drills, 20 September 2012 (Wikipedia)

20 Nations to Stage Anti-Mining Exercise in Middle East

The U.S. Defense Department has announced that 20 nations will stage a joint anti-mining exercise in multiple waterways in the region on 16-27 September. The exercise will focus on countermeasures against any threats, presumably from Iran, to mine the strategic waterways. (Associated Press)

“This is a defensive exercise aimed at preserving freedom of navigation in the international waterways of the Middle East and aimed at promoting regional stability,” Defense Department spokesman George Little told reporters on Tuesday. (AP, 18 July)

The exercise will practice mine countermeasures in multiple waterways. It will demonstrate "the international community's ability to work together to ensure free and secure trade," said CENTCOM Commander Gen. James Mattis.

Word of the exercise follows Monday’s announcement that the U.S. Navy will deploy aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis to the Persian Gulf/Arabian Sea in September. The Pentagon also recently doubled the number of minesweepers in the region. And it sent the USS Ponce, an amphibious transport dock recently retrofitted to become an afloat forward staging base in the Persian Gulf.

The Pentagon has not released the name of the other nations participating in the exercise, leaving it to individual countries to make the announcement.