Ahmede Hussain: Bangladesh Navy is going to join the Pakistan Navy's multinational exercise "AMAN" this January. What is the idea behind holding this exercise in general and what have you achieved so far in this regard?
Naveed Ashraf: Message of AMAN-25 is to: foster regional & extra-regional cooperation for the maintenance of good order at sea, enhance interoperability thereby acting as a bridge between the regions, share experiences, understand each other and exhibit united resolve against terrorism and crimes in the maritime domain. The slogan of AMAN is, "Together for Peace."
We have extended invitations to over 100 countries around the globe. In its last edition, AMAN-23, more than 50 countries participated, and we expect the number to be even more this time.
How do you think the Bangladesh Navy can benefit from Exercise AMAN? Is this the first few new steps in Bangladesh-Pakistan relations? What is in the offing?
We deeply appreciate and thank the Bangladesh Navy for being part of AMAN series of exercises. We have a lot to learn from each other's experience at sea. Pakistan Navy would look forward to working and establishing even closer ties through bilateral and more focused exercises and interactions, in the future.
We know that Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) is the sole maritime coordination centre of Pakistan linking national and regional actors by providing horizontal linkages; If Bangladesh asks for access to JMIC, how would Pakistan see this?
Pakistan Navy has established the Joint Maritime Information and Coordination Center (JMICC) for coordination and information sharing between stakeholders. We are continuing with our efforts to further expand the scope and reach of JMICC and we will welcome Bangladesh as our partner in JMICC.
What specific aspects of naval modernization can lead to defence cooperation between Bangladesh and Pakistan?
Both navies enjoy a cordial relation and we have the commonality of understanding on maritime threats and challenges. Moreover, our N2N relations can further enhance through design and construction of small to medium size crafts, enhancement in bilateral exercises, training collaboration, exchange visits and port calls.
Other than AMAN, what are the other initiatives that the PN has taken in terms of its defence diplomacy with Bangladesh?
We interact with each other on the occasion of AMAN exercise and also during other international maritime forums. In the domain of training, officers from Bangladesh regularly attend naval staff course at Pakistan and likewise, we also avail similar courses in Bangladesh.
What do you think are the common security issues and outlook that Bangladesh and Pakistan share vis-à-vis the development in the indo-pacific region and do you have any plans for a regional response framework?
I believe that the geo-political environment is volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous, characterized by realignment of interests. We find ourselves in the midst of geopolitical and geoeconomic competition prevailing in our region. Our maritime security is linked with the environment in the Indian Ocean, which is rapidly transforming. Ongoing Israeli aggression and its subsequent reaction by Houthis have created conditions whereby SLOCs transiting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden are threatened.
I feel that the regional countries can cooperate together in a region-centric maritime security construct and ensure that stability at sea is maintained through collective efforts.
Could you please tell us about the steps taken by the Pakistan Navy to combat maritime piracy and drug trafficking? Please tell us more on the Regional Maritime Security Patrol taken by your force.
Pakistan Navy and Pakistan Maritime Security Agency in coordination with LEAs work tirelessly to deter, disrupt and apprehend the drug traffickers and other criminals at sea. We have a joint operational mechanism with many national and international agencies through JMICC. Also through support of CMF, CTF-150 & CTF-151, we have been able to apprehend a number of boats carrying illicit cargo and drugs. In 2024 alone, so far we have captured nearly 10 tonnes of narcotics.
Talking about RMSP, it was launched in 2018 as part of our strategy to enhance stability at seas, which aims to maintain a threat-free environment in Pakistan's immediate and distant neighborhood, so that economic & scientific activities at sea continue unhindered. RMSP has three components: RMSP East (towards Maldives and Sri Lanka etc), RMSP West (Gulf of Aden and Africa's east coast) and RMSP North (Gulf of Oman, Persian Gulf and North Arabian Sea).
Unmanned surface vehicles are being increasingly exploited by navies worldwide, what's the best way navies can use this technology and other unmanned systems?
You're spot on. These technologies have fundamentally altered the character of war, though use of conventional arms is not likely to fade away in the future. I think smaller navies can significantly leverage these "low cost, high impact" technologies. It's not easy maintaining those expensive platforms, for instance the LRMPs for surveillance, so the cost-effective option is to go for low-cost UAVs for such a proposition.
Ahmede Hussain is a Bangladeshi writer and journalist