KUWAIT CITY, June 30: Kuwait’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef Saud Al-Sabah on Monday inaugurated the unmanned surface vessels (USV’s) that have joined the fl eet of the Kuwait Coast Guard at the General Directorate of the Coast Guard. The inauguration ceremony was attended by Major General Ali Mesfer Al-Adwani, Acting Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior and Major General Mujbil Fahd bin Shawq, Assistant Undersecretary for Border Security Sector, as part of a comprehensive plan implemented by the Kuwait Coast Guard to enhance maritime security through new technologies. Commodore Sheikh Mubarak Ali Al-Sabah, Director General of the Coast Guard, provided a detailed briefing on the advanced operational capabilities of the USV’s, saying they can function autonomously for days without direct human intervention. He added that their pivotal missions include surveillance, continuous monitoring, interception of suspicious maritime targets, support for search and rescue operations, monitoring environmental pollution, protecting natural resources, and overall maritime security enforcement within Kuwait’s territorial waters.

The report highlighted that Sheikh Fahad also inspected the advanced maritime monitoring system currently being implemented. This system covers the entirety of Kuwait’s maritime domain and integrates coastal radars, sensors, high-resolution cameras, and unmanned surface vessels under a unified command and control system powered by artificial intelligence. Additionally, Sheikh Fahad toured the maritime operations center, in addition to the control center that controls and operates the USV’s, reviewing their operational mechanisms, monitoring systems, and the electronic network linking the maritime units with command centers. Sheikh Fahad praised the General Directorate of the Coast Guard for executing this major project, confirming that the launch of unmanned surface vessels represents a significant step forward in developing Kuwait’s maritime security system through modern technologies. He noted that this initiative refl ects the Ministry of Interior’s commitment to operational readiness and adopting solutions to protect the Kuwaiti coast’s and territorial waters, thereby supporting national security, stability, and safeguarding Kuwait’s national interests. (KUNA)