Combined Task Force 150 (CTF 150), commanded by Commodore Greg Sammut RAN, recently conducted an operation in the Northern Arabian Sea to deter, detect and disrupt the smuggling of illicit cargo, including narcotics. Ships and aircraft from Australia, France, Pakistan, the United Kingdom and the United States worked together, coordinating and conducting almost 200 interactions with the local maritime community, with a specific focus on targeting smuggling activity in the area.

On the completion of the operation, HMAS STUART and PNS BADR conducted a combined patrol and continuation training period along the Pakistani coast. This is the second time in the last six months that the Australian and Pakistani navies have operated together under CTF 150 command, improving vital mariner and security operation skills among the crews of both warships.

During the combined patrol period, STUART and BADR conducted cooperative active patrols, gunnery serials, manouevres, and helicopter transfers. They also engaged in maritime interdiction operations. Working together, BADR conducted a boarding of a vessel under the international law of the sea, with STUART providing support.

Commenting on the positive outcome of the joint tasking, Commodore Sammut said:
“The success of this operation demonstrated the established capacity of CMF’s contributing navies to uphold security and stability in the maritime environment. All ships involved engaged positively with the local mariner community, promoting legitimate use of the sea and stability within the region.”

The CTF 150 area of operations spans over two million square miles, covering the Red Sea, Gulf and Aden, Indian Ocean, Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. The principle mission of CTF 150 is to deter, disrupt and defeat attempts by extremist terrorist organisations to use the maritime environment as a venue for an attack or as a means to transport personnel, weapons and other materials.