IRIA News

6 minute read

More than 60 countries came together to participate in Pakistan’s biennial multinational naval exercise AMAN-25, held from February 7-11, in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Karachi. The exercise was aimed at strengthening maritime security and cooperation.

Among the platforms, ships, aircraft, and special operations forces, taking part are ships from the navies of China, the U.S., Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Oman. Several countries were represented by their heads of navies, coast guards, and defense services. This unprecedented level of participation underscores the global community’s strong commitment to cooperative maritime security and the peaceful use of the seas.

Since its inception in 2007, AMAN (meaning “Peace”) has served as a platform for nations to strengthen maritime collaboration under the theme “Together for Peace.” The exercise has grown significantly over the years, and this year marks its largest edition to date, with the participation of naval forces, coast guards, and maritime leaders from across the globe.

Rear Admiral Abdul Munib, Commander of the Pakistan Fleet, emphasized the significance of the event, noting that with 60 countries participating in the exercise, the record number highlighted the global community’s strong commitment to uniting for peace. He also highlighted the pivotal role of the newly introduced AMAN Dialogue, which brings together high-level maritime stakeholders to discuss shared security challenges in the Indian Ocean.

He highlighted AMAN-25’s role in boosting maritime security and interoperability among nations. Rear Admiral Munib also praised participants for supporting Pakistan’s commitment to peace, noting the flags of all nations as symbols of the exercise’s motto, “Together for Peace.” He expressed hope that the relationships formed would continue to strengthen international maritime cooperation.

Two phases of AMAN-25

A significant feature of this year’s exercise is its two-phase structure. The first phase, a harbor phase that ran from February 7-9, 2025, saw participants engage in seminars, operational discussions, and counter-terrorism demonstrations. The second phase, underway from February 10-11, includes live tactical operations such as anti-piracy exercises, search and rescue drills, gunnery firings, and air defense training.

One of the highlights of the sea phase will be the International Fleet Review, scheduled for February 11, where participating vessels will showcase their capabilities in a demonstration of multinational collaboration. Special operations forces, explosive ordnance disposal teams, and marine units will also take part in joint exercises designed to develop unified responses to asymmetric threats.

Foreign naval vessels participating in AMAN-25

China, with its Baotou-133 and Gaoyouhu vessels, and Saudi Arabia, with its HMS Jazan and HMS Hail, are participating with two ships each in the AMAN-25 exercise.

Other vessels include the UAE’s Abu Dhabi (CVT) P-191, Malaysia’s KD Terengganu-174, Japan’s JS Murasame, Sri Lanka’s SLNS Vijayabahu, Indonesia’s KRI Bung Tomo-357, Iran’s Jamaran, Bangladesh’s BNS Somdura Joy, U.S. Lewis B. Puller, and Oman’s RNOV Sadh. Additionally, Turkey is participating with one aircraft.

Highlights – Foreign Ships arrival for Exercise AMAN 2025#PakistanNavy #PakNavy #Pakistan #Navy #AMAN25 #AMAN2025 #AMANDialogue pic.twitter.com/zci15nMXxt

— DGPR (Navy) (@dgprPaknavy) February 7, 2025

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf highlighted that the AMAN Exercise underscores Pakistan’s commitment to peace, strengthens regional maritime security, and enhances interoperability between regional and extra-regional navies.

During his visits to foreign ships participating in AMAN-25, the Naval Chief emphasized the Pakistan Navy’s vital role in the Arabian Sea and its initiatives, such as Regional Maritime Security Patrols (RMSP), to enhance regional stability.

Captain Humayun Yaqoob, commanding officer of the Pakistan Navy ship PNS Moawin, emphasized the exercise’s importance in fostering international unity, saying, “The basic purpose of this exercise is ‘Together for Peace’. All these 60 nations are together with us for peace,” Yaqoob said. He emphasized that the exercise reflected the international community’s confidence in its value as a meaningful platform for collaboration.

PLA Navy joins multinational AMAN-25 Exercise

A group of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy warships, including the Type 052D guided missile destroyer Baotou and the Type 903A replenishment ship Gaoyouhu, participated in Pakistan’s AMAN-2025 multinational maritime joint exercise.

The PLA Navy’s involvement underscores China’s commitment to securing critical sea lanes and reinforcing its overseas maritime interests, with the exercise addressing non-traditional security threats, particularly piracy.

Chinese military expert Zhang Junshe told the Global Times that the PLA Navy’s participation in the AMAN exercises demonstrates China’s support for the Pakistan-led multilateral security initiative and underscores the commitment of both countries to jointly ensure regional security.

The exercise provided a platform for China and other nations to strengthen cooperation, improve mutual understanding, and enhance collective capabilities to safeguard regional stability and maritime security.

Turkish Navy’s participation

At the AMAN-25 ceremony, Turkiye was represented by Captain Emre Ahmet İNAL, Commander of Operations from Dalaman Naval Air Command. He is leading a contingent of 23 Turkish Naval Forces personnel, which includes 1 SAT team, 1 SAS team, and the crew of the C-72 Turkish Maritime Utility Aircraft (TMUA), all of whom are participating in the exercise.

Indonesian Navy calls for enhanced cooperation

At the AMAN Dialogue in Karachi, the Indonesian Navy official urged the navies of 60 countries to prioritize conflict prevention, especially in the Indian Ocean.

Commander of the Naval Combat Group of the Indonesian Navy’s First Fleet Command, Commodore Mohammad Taufik, emphasized strengthening interoperability through standardized training, joint missions, and communication protocols, as well as fostering maritime defense diplomacy with non-military actors.

“The future security strategy must focus on prevention rather than retaliation with various considerations,” he said.

Taufik also called for increased cooperation on disaster mitigation and humanitarian efforts, particularly in response to climate change. He stressed the importance of multilateral forums like AMAN Dialogue for addressing both traditional and emerging threats and encouraged concrete follow-up collaboration among participating nations.

Multinational AMAN-25 Exercise

The AMAN series has evolved since its first edition in 2007, which saw participation from 28 countries. By 2023, this number had expanded to 50, including major global naval powers. The 2025 edition, with the participation of 60 nations, represents a significant milestone in fostering global cooperation for maritime security.

As the world’s oceans face increasing threats from piracy, climate change, and strategic competition, AMAN-25 provides a crucial opportunity for countries to collaborate on finding innovative solutions to ensure the security and prosperity of the seas, according to the Pakistan Navy.

The exercise serves as a testament to the growing recognition that the world’s maritime challenges require collective action and shared responsibility.