Commander Combined Task Force (CCTF) 151, Rear Admiral (Radm) Ken Cheong visited the Head of the Djibouti Navy, Colonel Abdourahman Aden Cher, at the Headquarters of the National Marines of Djibouti, as part of a series of Key Leadership Engagement visits to regional partners and units of Combined Maritime Forces (CMF).
Both commanders acknowledged the importance of the military presence of CMF, other task forces, and independent deployers for suppressing piracy in the region. The commanders also agreed that while the opportunities for piracy are low at this time, withdrawal of warships from the region would result in a resurgence of piratical acts. The impact of this would adversely affect the stability of the region, where around 21,000 vessels, carrying 10% of the world’s annual crude oil and petroleum requirements, traverse through the Gulf of Aden alone.
CCTF 151 Radm Cheong expressed his appreciation to the Djibouti Navy for their support of CTF 151 units. Radm Cheong said: “The support from the Djibouti Navy in maintaining the sustainability of the coalition forces is critical for counter-piracy operations. I am grateful and look forward for a closer collaboration in the future.”
CMF is a multi-national naval partnership that operates within international law and achieves results by co-operation, pooling resources and actively supporting regional maritime forces patrolling their own maritime environment.
CTF 151 was established in 2009 and is focused on the disruption of piracy and armed robbery in the maritime environment. CTF 151 also engages with regional and other partners to build capacity and improve relevant capabilities in order to secure freedom of navigation and protect global maritime commerce.
In conjunction with NATO, EU NAVFOR and other independent nations such as China and India, CTF 151 helps patrol the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) in the Gulf of Aden. The military presence has helped to significantly reduce piracy.
Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) 