MANAMA, Bahrain – The Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), through Combined Task Force 151 (CTF 151), provided criticalsupport to European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) Operation ATALANTA during an operation aimed to prevent further escalation of piracy off the coast of Somalia, recently.

The operation followed the hijacking of Iranian-flagged dhow Waseemi 786, which was unlawfully boarded by a Somali Pirate Action Group (PAG), March 19. After investigation, it was foundthe pirates intended to use the vessel as a mother ship to conduct larger-scale piracy attacks against international maritime traffic.

Thanks to the timely and coordinated response by EUNAVFOR ATALANTA units—including Italian Navy warship ITS Bianchi, Spanish Navy warship ESPS Canarias and a Spanish Air Force CN-235 maritime patrol aircraft—the pirates were successfully deterred. Their operation was disrupted, forcing them to move toward the Somali coastline, where Somali police and coast guard forces intervened swiftly and effectively. The combined response led to the pirates abandoning the dhow and attempting to flee inland.

CTF 151 units, including Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) ship JDS Yudachi and a JMSDF P-3 maritime patrol aircraft from Squadron JN41, contributed to the operation by providing enhanced deterrence and maintaining a persistent security presence across the wider Horn of Africa region.

Through its combined task forces, CMF reaffirms its commitment to safeguard maritime security and counter non-state actors involved in transnational crime. As a non-state facing organization, CMF operations support international law and safeguard global maritime commerce.

CMF, headquartered in Bahrain with U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and U.S. 5th Fleet, is the largest multinational naval partnership in the world, with 47 nations committed to upholding the international rules-based 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.