MANAMA, Bahrain – Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) hosted senior military leaders during a maritime security conference held in Manama, Bahrain, May 12-14.

CMF member nation delegates and partners were among the guests attending the annual maritime security conference, hosted by the world’s largest naval partnership.

During his opening remarks, Vice Adm. George Wikoff, Commander of CMF, told participants what makes the organization special is the breadth of nations that make up its membership, providing a unique opportunity to conduct maritime security operations alongside many navies.

“What you see now is a group of 46 different nations from all around the globe,” he said. “We have our baseline as mutual respect for maritime security under the rule-based international construct and  we appreciate the countries that are willing to support this important effort.”

During the conference, attendees reviewed initiatives and accomplishments over the previous 12 months, discussed strategy for the coming years, and coordinated CMF Coalition Task Force plans for enhancing regional maritime security and partnerships in the future.

Additionally, representatives from European Union Naval Forces provided updates on operations ATALANTA and ASPIDES. ATALANTA is an ongoing counter-piracy military operation off the Horn of Africa and in the Western Indian Ocean, established in December 2008. ASPIDES is a European Union defensive maritime security operation established in February 2024 in response to Houthi action in the Southern Red Sea.

CMF includes five combined task forces that focus on counter-narcotics, counter-smuggling, suppressing piracy, maritime security enhancement training, encouraging regional cooperation and working with other partners to strengthen maritime capabilities.

CMF, headquartered in Bahrain, is the largest multinational naval partnership in the world, with 46 nations committed to upholding the rules-based international order at sea. It promotes security, stability and prosperity across approximately 3.2 million square miles of international waters, encompassing some of the world’s most important shipping lanes.

To view and download the dynamic video used for the opening of the conference click on the link below:

https://www.facebook.com/CMFReadyTogether/videos/717916474051148