Commander of CTF 151 (CCTF 151), Rear Admiral Nejat Inanir held a Zoom call with Rear Admiral Abdullah Bin Kamis Bin Abdullah Al Raisi, Commander of the Royal Navy of Oman (CRNO) to discuss future combined efforts around the Gulf of Aden.

Discussions were held between the two commanders to ensure that future counter-piracy operations are as successful as the recent Focused Operation Shamal, which saw forces from Oman, Djiouti, Pakistan, the Republic of Korea and Japan participate in a large coordinated maritime operation to deter piracy and reassure merchant shipping.

Rear Admiral Inanir said: “I pass on my thanks and appreciation on behalf of CMF for all the support given by the Royal Navy of Oman. By working together, we have managed to suppress piracy and keep the waters safe for all legitimate mariners. Knowing that Oman will assist with future operations is a very welcome statement of intent to keep it that way for the future.”

A key effort has been in building up a database primarily of fishing traffic around the Gulf of Aden, which will help identify suspicious piracy activity early and therefore be able to coordinate warship patrols to the right location in a timely manner.

Rear Admiral Al Raisi said: “Your contribution to maritime security in the region is a welcome one, and we thank you for all your support. The Royal Navy of Oman will always be glad to help support our friends here to enhance cooperation, bringing mutual benefits to us.”

Turkey will hand over command of CTF151 to Pakistan this month, following a successful six months of delivering counter piracy operations primarily in the Gulf of Aden.