International Maritime Security Construct

The International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC) is a consortium of countries officially tasked with maintaining order and security in the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden and Southern Red Sea, particularly regarding maritime security of global oil supply routes.[1] It was formed on 16 September 2019 in Bahrain, by the United Kingdom, Australia, Albania, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Lithuania, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States. The operational arm of the IMSC is Coalition Task Force SENTINEL (CTF SENTINEL).[2][3][4][5][6]

International Maritime Security Construct
التحالف الدولي لأمن وحماية حرية الملاحة البحرية (Arabic)
al-Tahaluf al-Duwaliu Li'amn Wahimayat Huriyat al-Milahat al-Bahria
MottoVigilance, Surveillance, Assurance
FormationSeptember 16, 2019 (2019-09-16)
TypeMilitary alliance
HeadquartersManama, Bahrain
Region
Persian Gulf
Membership
Official language
English
Websitewww.imscsentinel.com

The security construct was formed in 2019 after multiple oil tankers and merchant ships were attacked by Iran to deter maritime harassment and illegal seizure of merchant vessels in the region's waters." [3] The IMSC's primary task is monitoring international waters of the region to ensure the freedom of navigation of merchant vessels plying their trade in the area.

Formation

Early in summer 2019 near the Strait of Hormuz, a Norwegian tanker and a Japanese tanker were attacked, and the British tanker Stena Impero was seized by Iranian naval forces.[4]

Shortly thereafter, the IMSC was formed "in support of regional and international efforts to deter and counter threats to maritime navigation and global trade in order to secure freedom of navigation in the gulf amid heightened regional tensions after attacks on oil tankers that were widely blamed on Iran, as well as to address Iran's illegal seizure of tankers in the region."[3] Several Persian Gulf countries signed on to IMSC in mid-September in the wake of Iranian cruise missile attacks on the Saudi Arabian Abqaiq oil facility.[5] It was joined by countries from the Baltics in 2020.[7][8]

U.S. Air Force General Paul Selva, Vice Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, describes the purpose of the IMSC as protecting the freedom of navigation in the waters of the region and the commander of U.S. Naval Forces in the Middle East defines its role as strictly defensive.[1]

IMSC is a flexible and temporary construct that can scale operations to conditions in the maritime environment. There are currently eight nations supporting IMSC, with several other nations in various stages of joining the organization. The IMSC is not part of the U.S. Maximum Pressure Campaign against Iran and does not play a part in United Nations sanctions enforcement against any nation. IMSC has no affiliation to any political agenda other than protecting freedom of navigation on the high seas. Ships, aircraft, and maritime forces for IMSC are sourced from Coalition force contributions to operations within the Middle East. Forces supporting IMSC are prohibited from simultaneously accomplishing other national missions that would conflict with the IMSC mandate.

Operations
IMSC personnel at headquarters in Bahrain, November 24, 2019

IMSC, through the operational arm of Coalition Task Force SENTINEL, conducts overt security patrols of the waters of the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden, and the Southern Red Sea. Significant maritime industry engagement, reconnaissance, and intelligence support enable the IMSC coalition to target areas of concern, and to accomplish their major objectives of deterring state-sponsored malign maritime activity while reassuring the merchant industry by ensuring maritime security and freedom of navigation.

Command

The IMSC is a political construct of willing nations who share common desires to ensure freedom of navigation within the Middle East, therefore, there is no single IMSC Commander. Command and staffing for the operational arm of IMSC, Coalition Task Force SENTINEL, is shared between alliance countries. Commanders are 1-star navy flag officers nominated from within IMSC Coalition nations and typically serve four to six months terms. Coalition Task Force SENTINEL is headquartered in Manama, Bahrain.

US Navy Rear Admiral Alvin "Bull" Holsey (who concurrently served as Commander of US Carrier Strike Group ONE) assumed command for the formation and development of initial operating capability of Coalition Task Force SENTINEL. He was relieved on January 30, 2020, by Royal Navy Commodore James Parkin (the Commander of the UK Littoral Strike Group).[9][10] At this point, in conjunction with the completion of initial staffing, CTF SENTINEL achieved full operating capability. Parkin handed over command to Royal Navy Commodore Robert Bellfield in April 2020.[11]

NameServicePhotoTerm beganTerm endedNotes
1.Rear Admiral Alvin "Bull" Holsey United States NavyNovember 7, 2019[12]January 30, 2020Served concurrently as Commander, Carrier Strike Group ONE.
2.Commodore James Parkin Royal NavyJanuary 30, 2020April 30, 2020[13]Served concurrently as Commander Littoral Strike Group
3.Commodore Robert Bellfield Royal Navy

April 30, 2020[13]November 19, 2020[14]
4.Commodore Craig Wood Royal NavyNovember 19, 2020 [14]Incumbent

Member Nations

Current

Former
  •  Australia - Founding member. Australia concluded its contribution on the 29 December 2020.[15]


See Also

References
  1. "Maritime coalition launched to protect Gulf shipping after Iran attacks". Arab News. 2019-11-07. Retrieved 2020-01-02.
  2. "Iran, Russia and China Plan Joint Naval Drill in Gulf of Oman". The Maritime Executive, LLC. 23 September 2013.
  3. "Saudi Arabia joins international maritime security alliance". Al Arabiya English. 18 September 2019.
  4. "UAE joins naval security coalition in the Gulf". Sightline Media Group. Defense News. 20 September 2019.
  5. "UAE Agrees To Join U.S.-Led Maritime Coalition To Protect Gulf Shipping". National Public Radio. 19 September 2019.
  6. "U.S. Central Command welcomes Albania's participation in the International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC)". U.S. Central Command. 1 November 2019. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  7. "Lithuania Joins the International Maritime Security Construct".
  8. "The Republic of Estonia Joins the International Maritime Security Construct". DVIDS. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  9. "British Officer takes command of Gulf maritime security mission". Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  10. Lamothe, Dan (January 30, 2020). "Allies hesitated to join a U.S.-led task force protecting ships from Iran. Now a British officer is in charge". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 31, 2020.
  11. IMSC [@IMSC_Sentinel] (3 May 2020). "Welcome aboard Commodore Robert Bellfield as the new @IMSC_Sentinel Commander! Great things ahead for this multinational coalition. #FreedomOfNavigation #GulfSecurity" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  12. "New Commander Opens IMSC Command Center".
  13. "IMSC Holds Virtual Change of Command Ceremony".
  14. "Coalition Task Force Sentinel Change of Command". DVIDS. 19 November 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  15. . Department of Defence (Australia). 29 December 2020 https://news.defence.gov.au/media/media-releases/australia-concludes-its-contribution-international-maritime-security-construct. Missing or empty |title= (help)
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