AIRLINK 74.64 Decreased By ▼ -0.21 (-0.28%)
BOP 5.01 Increased By ▲ 0.03 (0.6%)
CNERGY 4.51 Increased By ▲ 0.02 (0.45%)
DFML 42.44 Increased By ▲ 2.44 (6.1%)
DGKC 87.02 Increased By ▲ 0.67 (0.78%)
FCCL 21.58 Increased By ▲ 0.22 (1.03%)
FFBL 33.54 Decreased By ▼ -0.31 (-0.92%)
FFL 9.66 Decreased By ▼ -0.06 (-0.62%)
GGL 10.43 Decreased By ▼ -0.02 (-0.19%)
HBL 114.29 Increased By ▲ 1.55 (1.37%)
HUBC 139.94 Increased By ▲ 2.50 (1.82%)
HUMNL 12.25 Increased By ▲ 0.83 (7.27%)
KEL 5.21 Decreased By ▼ -0.07 (-1.33%)
KOSM 4.50 Decreased By ▼ -0.13 (-2.81%)
MLCF 38.09 Increased By ▲ 0.29 (0.77%)
OGDC 139.16 Decreased By ▼ -0.34 (-0.24%)
PAEL 25.87 Increased By ▲ 0.26 (1.02%)
PIAA 22.20 Increased By ▲ 1.52 (7.35%)
PIBTL 6.80 No Change ▼ 0.00 (0%)
PPL 123.58 Increased By ▲ 1.38 (1.13%)
PRL 26.81 Increased By ▲ 0.23 (0.87%)
PTC 14.01 Decreased By ▼ -0.04 (-0.28%)
SEARL 58.53 Decreased By ▼ -0.45 (-0.76%)
SNGP 68.01 Decreased By ▼ -0.94 (-1.36%)
SSGC 10.47 Increased By ▲ 0.17 (1.65%)
TELE 8.39 Increased By ▲ 0.01 (0.12%)
TPLP 11.05 Decreased By ▼ -0.01 (-0.09%)
TRG 63.21 Decreased By ▼ -0.98 (-1.53%)
UNITY 26.59 Increased By ▲ 0.04 (0.15%)
WTL 1.42 Decreased By ▼ -0.03 (-2.07%)
BR100 7,941 Increased By 103.5 (1.32%)
BR30 25,648 Increased By 196 (0.77%)
KSE100 75,983 Increased By 868.6 (1.16%)
KSE30 24,445 Increased By 330.8 (1.37%)

DUBAI: The US Navy's Fifth Fleet said Thursday it launched a new task force in the Gulf incorporating drones and artificial intelligence following maritime attacks blamed on Iran.

A statement by the US Naval Forces Central Command, or NAVCENT, said the task force would rely on regional and coalition partnerships. "The bottom line on why we're doing this is so that we can develop and integrate unmanned systems and AI as a means to do two things," NAVCENT commander Brad Cooper said.

"One, enhance our maritime domain awareness, and two, increase deterrence," he said in the statement.

Since February, Iran and its arch-enemy Israel have been accused of engaging in what analysts have called a "shadow war", in which vessels linked to each nation have come under attack in waters around the Gulf in tit-for-tat exchanges. On July 29 an attack against the Israeli-linked MT Mercer Street oil products tanker off Oman's coast killed a British security guard and a Romanian crew member.

US Navy uses drone to refuel plane during flight

G7 foreign ministers last month said "all available evidence clearly points to Iran" being behind the attack in which drones were used.

Iran rejected the allegations, which came days before ultraconservative President Ebrahim Raisi took office in the Islamic republic.

The attack on the Mercer Street came amid stalled talks between Tehran and world powers aimed at reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

US Navy spokesman Tim Hawkins told AFP the task force was "dedicated to rapidly integrate unmanned systems and artificial intelligence with maritime operations in the Fifth Fleet region".

"When we talk about the integration of new unmanned systems, we're talking about systems that can be used under, on and above the water," he said. Iran has also been accused of hijacking an asphalt and bitumen tanker in the Gulf of Oman in August, which it denied. The Fifth Fleet is based in the Gulf kingdom of Bahrain.

Comments

Comments are closed.