Context: Post the Israeli military offensive against Hamas in Gaza strip region of Palestine the peace and security of the middle east region has again started to appear fragile. Houthi rebels based in Yemen have started conducting a series of attacks using UAVs and ballistic missiles on commercial and merchant shipping vessels in the Southern Red Sea. To counter this threat by Houthi rebels against merchant vessels, US has announced establishment of Operation Prosperity Guardian under the Combined Maritime Forces.
Operation Prosperity Guardian
- Operation Prosperity Guardian is a multinational security initiative for countering the threat posed by Houthis rebels against merchant vessels and ensuring the foundational principle of freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.
- Countries like USA, UK, Bahrain, Canada, Netherlands, Norway and Seychelles will come together to jointly address security challenges in Southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
- The Operation will function under the umbrella of Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). CMF's Task Force 153 is charged with international maritime security and capacity building in the Red Sea, Bab-al-Mandeb and Gulf of Aden.
- Operation Prosperity Guardian will serve to create a safe passage for commercial and merchant ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
- It is a defensive coalition aiming to reassure, assist and respond to global shipping and mariners that will be transitioning the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Waterway.
About Combined Maritime Forces (CMF)
- CMF is a multinational maritime partnership, which exists to uphold the rules-based international order (RBIO) by countering illicit non-state actors on the high seas and promoting security, stability and prosperity across approximately 3.2 million square miles of international waters, which encompass some of the world's most important shipping lanes.
- Established in 2001.
- Headquarters of CMF is in Manama, Bahrain.
- Focus areas of CMF: Counter-narcotics, counter-smuggling, suppressing piracy, encouraging regional cooperation and engaging with regional and other partners. Promoting a safe maritime environment free from illicit non-state actors. When requested, CMF assets at sea will also respond to environmental and humanitarian incidents.
- 39 Members of CMF are: Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Djibouti, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, India, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, the Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Türkiye, UAE, United Kingdom, United States, and Yemen. (India is a member and also Pakistan).
- Functioning of CMF: CMF is a coalition of the willing and does not proscribe or mandate a specific level of participation from any member nation. CMF members are not bound by a fixed political or military mandate.
- Combined Task Forces under CMF:
- CTF 150: Conducts Maritime Security Operations outside the Arabian Gulf to ensure that legitimate commercial shipping can transit the region, free from non-state threats.
- CTF 151: Aims to suppress piracy outside territorial waters of Coastal States, indirectly curb trafficking of humans and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
- CTF 152: Focuses on regional maritime security cooperation focusing on illicit non-state actors in the Arabian Gulf, especially between Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations.
- CTF 153: Focuses on Red Sea Maritime Security in the Red Sea, Bab al Mandeb and Gulf of Aden. Established in 2002.
- CTF 154: Train partner navies and improve operational capabilities to enhance maritime security in Middle East. Established in 2023.
- CMF's head or commander by vice-admiral of US Navy. CMF's deputy commander is a UK Royal Navy Commodore.
About Red Sea
- Red Sea is a narrow sea between Arabian Peninsula and Africa.
- Towards its north lies the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt and Gulf of Suez and Gulf of Aqaba. Suez Canal connects the Gulf of Suez to the Mediterranean Sea.
- Towards its south, Bab-al-Mandeb strait connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Bab al Mandeb separates Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula to the Djibouti and Eritrea located on the Horn of Africa.
- Bab al-Mandeb passage (choke point) which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden is only 29 km wide at its narrowest point.
- Currently, between 10-15% of global shipping flows through the Red Sea.
- On account of the recent Houthi attacks, many international shipping companies have had to re-route through the Cape of Good Hope adding weeks to the delivery of goods and materials, including oil and gas.
About Houthis
- Houthis are an armed group who as sect among the Shia muslims minority known as Zaidis in Yemen.
- They rebelled against ex-Yemen President Saleh, who was supported by Saudi Arabia.
- Houthi rebels have been fighting a civil war against the Saudi backed Yemen Government since 2014.
- Houthi rebels have modelled themselves on lines of Shia armed group Hezbollah based in Lebanon and are supported by Iran.