International Maritime Exercise 2025 Wraps Up with High Seas Drama

IMX 2025, a strategic maritime exercise, united 5,000 personnel from over 30 nations and international organizations. The aim was to uphold the international rules-based order and enhance regional maritime security cooperation. The exercise spanned 12 days, incorporating various activities at sea across the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden, and the Red Sea, as well as operations ashore and in the air.

Throughout the exercise, participants engaged in diverse training sessions, including diving exercises, harbor security operations, mine countermeasures techniques, and the integration of unmanned systems and artificial intelligence. Other key activities involved visit, board, search and seizure operations, and global health management events. This comprehensive approach facilitated the exchange of perspectives and strategies among nations.

U.S. Navy Vice Adm. George Wikoff, Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and U.S. 5th Fleet, highlighted the significance of international collaboration at the event’s closing ceremony. He praised the exercise for its role in enhancing the safeguarding of regional waterways and ensuring the free flow of commerce. Similarly, Pakistan Navy Commodore Rashid Mahmood Sheikh noted the variety of approaches discussed, emphasizing the value these insights will bring to future exercises in other countries.

IMX 2025 operated alongside the U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa’s Cutlass Express 25, focusing on improving information-sharing capabilities, enhancing theater-to-theater coordination, and strengthening interoperability. The exercise highlighted the strategic importance of the U.S. 5th Fleet’s area, covering approximately 2.5 million square miles and including critical maritime choke points like the Strait of Hormuz, Suez Canal, and Bab al-Mandeb.

The exercise, first established as the International Mine Countermeasures Exercise in 2012, has evolved to address a broader array of maritime security challenges, reflecting its expanded mission and objectives.