The multinational security efforts are successful, he said.  “Free flow of commerce in this region is a given fact.”

Emphasizing the importance of the Suez Canal, Miller said the U.S. Navy conducts 150 to 200 transits of the Suez Canal each year.

“Access to the canal remains good,” Miller said. “Security of the canal zone remains rock solid.”

“In contrast to air spaces, which are divided into relatively clear Flight Information Regions, and aircraft that are identifiable through IFF, maritime spaces lack clarity and control due to differing jurisdictions, maritime zones which sometimes overlap with neighboring states, and AIS, which does not always provide a true picture of the vessel acquired on radar. That said, the OPV Conference may be considered to be a good step in the right direction, as it brought regional actors together who echoed a similar notion for enhancing coordination amongst GCC players, which could only materialize once confidence and trust becomes the order of the day,” Cauchi Inglott said.

Several of the speakers acknowledged the fact that Iran has participated in counter-piracy operations, albeit independently. Other speakers alluded to the fact that while governments may be posturing politically, mariners at sea tend to find ways to work together pragmatically.

Cmdr. Zain Zulfiqar, who commanders Pakistan’s Patrol Squadron 10, said that Pakistan is challenged by its geography just outside the Arabian Gulf in the North Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman, with the inhospitably dry and rocky terrain of the Makran Coast and the vast marshy but arid areas of the Indus Delta, thick with mangrove swamps, with many places for trouble to hide.

Capt. Efthimios Mikros HN, director, Plans and Policy Directorate on the General Staff of the Hellenic Navy, described the mission and operations of the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Center.

Located at the Souda Naval Base near the city of Chania on the Greek island of Crete, the NMIOTC’s mission is “To conduct the combined training necessary for NATO forces to better execute surface, sub-surface, aerial surveillance, and special operations activities in support of Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO).”

The center improves allied naval units’ expertise in Maritime Interdiction Operations through specific theoretical and practical training programs, and promotes skills, interoperability and cooperation among naval units through sea training and simulation, Mikros said.

Capt. Robert T. Hendrickson, who commands U.S. Coast Guard Patrol Forces Southwest Asia and serves as Commander Task Force (CTF) 55.1, discussed the latest in the Coast Guard‘s technologies, tactics and procedures. He also shared his experiences while serving in the Pacific region conducting fisheries enforcement for the vast U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Hendrickson emphasized the importance of partnerships, and how the Navy and Coast Guard were able to embark ship riders from partner nations when the U.S. ships and cutters would be transiting through the adjoining EEZs of partner nations. The ship riders had the jurisdiction and authority to represent their nations and enforce the applicable rules and regulations in the appropriate EEZs, and by riding the U.S. ships through their own nation’s EEZs would monitor and detain ships that were fishing illegally.

“Asymmetrical threats, now increasing and spanning from the West African coastline across to Central Asia, coupled to diminishing naval capabilities, particularly those of EU Member States and the U.S. military due to sequestration and re-pivoting towards Asia, emphasize the need to move from military cooperation to military collaboration,” said Col. Martin Cauchi Inglott of the Armed Forces of Malta, currently assigned to the European Union Military Staff in Brussels. “Key to this shift would be the ability to exchange information on the basis of ‘responsibility to share’ rather than one based on ‘need to know,’ not only nationally amongst agencies, but across borders as well.”

“In contrast to air spaces, which are divided into relatively clear Flight Information Regions, and aircraft that are identifiable through IFF, maritime spaces lack clarity and control due to differing jurisdictions, maritime zones which sometimes overlap with neighboring states, and AIS, which does not always provide a true picture of the vessel acquired on radar. That said, the OPV Conference may be considered to be a good step in the right direction, as it brought regional actors together who echoed a similar notion for enhancing coordination amongst GCC players, which could only materialize once confidence and trust becomes the order of the day,” Cauchi Inglott said.

The conference attendees, sponsors and exhibitors included a number of ship builders, systems and service providers.

“It was good to see the distinction between the political and practical level in regards to obtaining maritime security in the gulf. When it comes to the practical level I am sure that all industry is more than willing to engage with the various navies, coast guards, and other entities maintaining maritime domain awareness on how to get the best possible ‘set of eyes’ on the troublemakers and make sure that this information can be shared for the benefit of all involved in this most important task,” said David Adgill Larsen, regional manager, Middle East, for Terma A/S.

“It was a great list of speakers for this conference and I especially found the discussion on the practical level on how to obtain the necessary maritime domain awareness intriguing. Just the mere discussion of necessary equipment like AIS, radars, and overarching systems for the sharing of information is necessary to obtain a common idea of what the standard should be in this field and also the requisite for involving industry so we can provide our knowledge on how to actually obtain this most important goal,” Larsen said.