MANAMA, Bahrain – Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) Combined Task Force 153 (CTF 153) staff recently tested its readiness to respond to attacks on merchant shipping in a command post training exercise.

Designed to prepare new staff for the ongoing threat of attacks on merchant ships, the un-alerted exercise came when least expected.

Once notified of an attack on a fictional oil tanker transiting the Red Sea, the team quickly assessed the situation, advised relevant authorities and helped coordinate a response by CMF-assigned units.

The scenario soon worsened after a second missile strike left the vessel stricken, ablaze and sinking as the crew abandoned ship.

The CTF 153 team coordinated a rescue while alerting regional partners to an impending environmental disaster resulting from an oil spill from the tanker.

Royal Australian Navy Captain Jorge McKee, commander of CTF 153, said the exercise was beneficial in many ways.

“Some staff experienced the scenario for the first time, while others got to build upon the lessons from recent attacks including the MT Sounion,” Captain McKee said. “We tested and refined our procedures and saw personnel from different countries and cultures collaborate under pressure.”

“This is a very real threat to the innocent mariners at sea, and to the people who live on the Red Sea and in the Gulf of Aden. Amidst other impacts, a large oil spill would devastate fish stocks for generations,” Captain McKee said.

CTF 153, one of five task forces under CMF, works to promote security, stability and prosperity in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, and western Gulf of Aden in order to deter and impede illicit non-state actors.

Australia assumed command of CTF 153 on Oct. 1 2024.

CMF is the world’s largest naval partnership, with 46 countries working together. Other task forces include CTF 150, focused on maritime security in the Gulf of Oman, Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden; CTF 151, which leads regional anti-piracy efforts; CTF 152, dedicated to maritime security in the Arabian Gulf; and CTF 154, enhancing maritime security training throughout the region.