Exercise AMAN

Exercise AMAN: The Pinnacle of Regional Integration

The Pakistan Navy came up with the concept to organize the series of naval drills in 2007 to, among other things, encourage regional naval cooperation and improve compatibility. The word “AMAN” is taken from the Urdu language, which is Pakistan’s official language and means “peace.” The exercise, which is being organized by the Pakistan navy, is intended to improve cross-cultural understanding and multi-layered security cooperation by bringing together the warships of more than 50 nations under the banner “Together for Peace.”

Different security and geostrategic changes in the Indian Ocean region have created a variety of difficulties for littoral states like Pakistan. These changes include the emergence of a number of issues that are detrimental to regional peace and stability, such as the militarized zones (Ops Enduring Freedom), piracy off Somalia, the Yemeni conflict, the rise of ISIS, the dynamic Iran-West-Saudi relations, the Arab Spring, and unrest in the Levant. Besides, in the Indian Ocean, non-traditional threats are providing more complex and challenging problems.

The range of unconventional threats is significantly broader and connected with traditional techniques, including piracy, marine terrorism, illicit, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, illegal immigration, and smuggling of weapons and drugs.

Indian Ocean has given neighboring nations numerous chances to channel and automate cooperative activities in order to improve regional security and collaboration. AMAN Exercise provided Pakistan navy with the chance to strengthen navies’ cooperation and integration in light of the evolving security dynamics of the Indian Ocean. Pakistan has always been a loud supporter of freedom of navigation, peace, and regional harmony in the Indian Ocean and has always played its due role in fostering dialogue and cooperation in the region. Pakistan is an important stakeholder in the Indian Ocean security framework. Moreover, Pakistan Navy, being the guardian of country’s maritime interests, has remained at the forefront in exhibiting Pakistan’s intent for collective security and mutual cooperation for peaceful co-existence in the sea. Therefore, despite their multiple resource constraints, Pakistan Navy not only participated in all genuine regional and global cooperative efforts in the region but also initiated this multinational exercise to augment regional peace and integration.

The main goal of the exercise is to provide a forum for information exchange, the identification of shared interests, and the improvement of understanding between participants in group discussions and analyses. It also aims to generate and practice response tactics, techniques, and procedures for all conventional and asymmetrical threats. Based on this concept, In order to secure a variety of collective sea assets, such as Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs), maritime infrastructure, and marine resources from non-traditional threats, the exercise intends to create and refine Response Tactics Techniques and Procedures (RTTP). The AMAN Exercise was set to be hosted by Pakistan biennially since 2007 and eighth Multinational AMAN exercise has been scheduled to take place in Feb, 2023.

The AMAN exercise has several modules and program to gain its objective. With the aim to build up Responses, Tactics, Techniques and Procedures against unconventional and conventional threats through operational and strategic warfare planning and exercise at the sea which includes VBSS, Naval Gunfire, Anti-piracy, Anti-Submarine Exercise, Communications, Operations, Combine Boarding and Air Defence. In its programs at sea, the exercise will include advance naval drills and maneuvers including Counter Terrorism Ops, Maritime Security Ops, Antipiracy Tactics, surface firing practices, Search and Rescue maneuvers and an International Fleet Review.

Moreover, it also includes an International Maritime Conference, Maritime Terrorism demo, Table Top discussions on professional matters and various cross cultural activities in harbor. Besides, Explosives Ordinance Disposal Team, The Special Operation Forces and other marine units will display, learn and synchronize themselves with advance weapons and modern technological equipment’s in this exercise. The idea of `Exercise AMAN’ attracted a number of maritime nations which believes in common use of seas of the world for peaceful co-existence and joint collaboration. Their attraction can be gauged by the fact that the number of participant countries has risen to more than forty five started from twenty eight participants in 2007.

This series of exercise have not only added to the national prestige and honor of Pakistan but have also enhanced Pakistan Navy’s professional skills and abilities. Participation of such a large number of countries in the exercise implies that the international community endorses and appreciates Pakistan’s initiative for collective regional peace and security. Moreover, rising strength of AMAN participants also shows willingness of regional countries to support and join hands with Pakistan in its efforts to enhance regional integration for harmony and cooperation in the Indian Ocean.