Sea drones pose new threat to maritime security: SA Navy – SABC News

According to David Mkhonto, Rear Admiral and Chief Director of Maritime Strategy for the South African Navy, the recent use of naval drones or unmanned surface vessels poses a new challenge for the navy.

Mkhonto, speaking on behalf of the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, stressed the importance of maritime security at the Africa Aerospace and Defence Conference at Waterkloof Air Base.

He noted that since the Houthi attacks began, maritime traffic in the Red Sea had decreased by 45%, while maritime traffic around the Cape of Good Hope had increased by about 70%, presenting both challenges and opportunities for South Africa.

The Houthi rebels’ ongoing attacks on commercial and other shipping in the Red Sea are threatening maritime security and posing a long-term challenge to countries around the world, including South Africa. More than 80 percent of world trade by volume – accounting for more than 50 percent of its value – is transported via maritime routes.

In June of this year, Houthi rebels in Yemen used a drone boat to attack a bulk carrier in the Red Sea. And in the Black Sea, Ukrainian naval drones have played a crucial role in reshaping the conflict there. In October 2022, small surface drones breached Russian defenses and entered the port of Sevastopol, heralding a new phase in the war.

Referring to these technological developments, Mkhonto noted that they presented both opportunities and challenges. He said: “Naval unmanned systems or drones signal not only a technological advance but also an exciting evolution in naval warfare. They offer new opportunities to shape the role of surface ships, while at the same time they are poised to transform the essential elements of maritime strategy. The future of naval warfare is an exciting balance between traditional sea power and the inventive potential of unmanned systems.”

Mkhonto stressed the close link between globalisation and maritime security, saying: “The maritime system depends on the protection of sea links and control of choke points… it is time to devote more resources and interaction as no state can protect the system on its own. Maritime security services, coast guards and port security facilities and our leaders all have a critical role to play.”

But at the same time, he stressed that the South African Navy still faced existing threats from illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, poaching, piracy and other transnational crime and that they too have evolved over the decades. He said: “Criminal syndicates across the continent have deployed new strategies and formed new alliances. But at the same time, law enforcement has also evolved with more initiatives and cooperative movements being introduced.”

In April this year, President Cyril Ramaphosa approved the extension of the South African National Defence Force’s Operation Copper maritime security patrols in the Mozambique Channel. The operation was launched following the hijacking of a Mozambican fishing vessel by Somali pirates in the Mozambique Channel in December 2010. There have been no further pirate attacks in Southern African waters since the start of Operation Copper.

Mkhonto said it was crucial to know what was happening along the coast and in the surrounding seas and to be able to respond. He noted: “The Chief of the South African Navy recently approved an instruction to establish a maritime domain unit for world alerts to ensure that South African waters are transparent and monitored. Currently, the South African Navy has a system of sensors that is managed by the centre in Simonstown. These sensors will be part of a system designed by the Institute of Maritime Technology.”

The South African Navy also monitors the waters off the country’s coast through a data feed from strategic partners such as Brazil and Indian Ocean countries such as the Seychelles and Madagascar.

While expressing concern over the infusion of the Navy as it severely limits its ability to protect South Africa’s maritime domain, he pointed to the acquisition of three new Inshore Patrol Vessels under Project Biro. These vessels will enable South Africa to conduct more targeted and effective missions against threats such as illegal fishing and trafficking, not only within the country’s maritime domain but also in the Southern African Development Community and beyond.