Image source: topwar.ru
Recently, Yemeni Houthi rebels have become more active in the Red Sea area. Since important sea routes for world trade pass through this area, their activation could not but cause concern to the United States. Vice Admiral Brad Cooper refused four times to name the Houthis as the reason for the decision to create an operational group. Nevertheless, the world community already understands why the group is being created.
However, in the end, Cooper was forced to recognize both the importance of the Red Sea region for the whole world, and the inability of the United States to cope with patrolling maritime areas on its own because of their vastness. The Joint Maritime Forces Command, an organization of 34 countries, currently has three operational groups engaged in combating piracy and ensuring security in the Persian Gulf and the seas adjacent to the Arabian Peninsula.
The new task force will begin work on Sunday, it will be joined by the USS Mount Whitney, a Blue Ridge-class command amphibious assault ship, previously part of the Navy's 6th Fleet, responsible for the regions of Europe and Africa. The total number of the task force will be from 2 to 8 ships operating simultaneously.
According to Vice Admiral Cooper, the group's tasks will include countering drug trafficking, arms trafficking, coal smuggling and illegal migration flows in the region. By the way, the Somali Al-Shabab group, which carries out terrorist attacks on the territory of Northeast Africa, receives funds from the same coal smuggling. In addition, migrants from East African countries coming to Saudi Arabia and the UAE arrive through the Red Sea.
It is difficult to overestimate the importance of sea routes for world legal trade. There are routes of ships delivering cargo from Europe to Asia, Africa, Australia and back. Now there is a danger for such vessels coming from the actions of the Houthis. In addition, ships are at risk of being damaged or sunk as a result of collisions with sea mines. The joint task force will try to resolve all these issues.
However, experts believe that the creation of a new group of US warships may be connected not so much with the Houthis, but with the information that passed earlier about the intentions of the Russian Navy to use Port Sudan as a logistics point. This port city in Sudan is located on the shores of the Red Sea. And while there is no information about the creation of an MTO point of the Russian Navy in Port Sudan, the United States could, as they say, go on reinsurance.
