Seaborne drones pose new threat to maritime security: SA Navy

The South African Navy’s Rear Admiral David Mkhonto, Chief Director Maritime Strategy, says the recent use of naval drones or unmanned surface vessels is posing a new challenge to navies.

Mkhonto presented a paper on behalf of the Chief of the Navy at the Africa Aerospace and Defence Conference at Waterkloof Air Force Base, stressing the importance of maritime security.

He noted that since the start of the Houthi attacks, maritime traffic in the Red Sea had been reduced by 45% while at the same time maritime traffic around the Cape of Good Hope had increased by around 70%. This he said presented both challenges and opportunities for South Africa.

The Houthi rebels’ continued attacks on commercial and other vessels in the Red Sea has threatened maritime security and poses long-term challenges to countries around the world, including South Africa. More than 80 percent of the volume of global trade – accounting for over 50 percent of the value – is transported via sea routes.

In June this year, Yemen’s Houthi rebels used a drone boat in an attack on a bulk carrier in the Red Sea. And in the Black Sea, Ukraine’s naval drones have played pivotal role in reshaping the conflict there. In October 2022, small surface drones breached Russian defences and penetrated Sevastopol harbour, foreshadowing a new phase in the war.

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

Underlining the close connection between globalisation and maritime security, Mkhonto said, “The maritime system depends upon the protection of the sea lines of communication and the control of the choke points …it is time to devote more resources and interaction, as no single state can protect the system on their own.  Maritime security agencies, coast guards and port security facilities and our leaders must all play a crucial role.”

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 had evolved over the past decades. He said: “Criminal syndicates across the continent have employed new strategies, forming new alliances.  But at the same time law enforcement has also evolved with more initiatives and co-operative movements introduced.”

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

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

The SA Navy also ensures that it monitors the waters off the country through a data feed from strategic partners such as Brazil and countries in the Indian Ocean such as Seychelles and Madagascar.

While he expressed concern about the defunding of the Navy as this severely restricts 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 empower South Africa to conduct more focused and effective missions against threats such as illegal fishing and trafficking, not only within the country’s maritime domain but also across the Southern African Development Community and beyond.