BAHRAIN (Sept. 16, 2026) – Combined Maritime Forces’ (CMF) Republic of Korea-led Combined Task Force (CTF) 151 held a command post exercise in Bahrain to test its response to piracy incidents in the Gulf of Aden, recently.
The exercise tested how multinational staff coordinate ships, aircraft, regional authorities and maritime security partners during fast-moving incidents.
“Piracy will not wait for us to be ready, so we must be ready before it comes,” said Republic of Korea Navy Captain Yoon Hyun-woo, commander, CTF 151. “Today my staff worked through every step of a real incident, alongside the same partners we would call on for real. We finished the day better prepared than we started it, and if pirates strike, CTF 151 is ready to act quickly, together with our partners.”
In the first exercise scenario, a merchant vessel was boarded by armed attackers in the Gulf of Aden while the crew sheltered in the ship’s citadel. Staff coordinated coalition ships and aircraft, shared information with regional partners and arranged medical support for an injured seafarer.
The exercise second scenario involved an armed skiff carrying boarding equipment approaching a merchant vessel at high speed. A coalition helicopter fired warning shots and the skiff stopped. A boarding team later searched the vessel and found ladders, climbing ropes, grappling hooks and communications equipment.
Staff managed reporting chains, coordinated with coalition partners and maritime security agencies, engaged national authorities and shared information to support operational decisions.
Personnel from the CMF Battle Watch, CTF 154 and other headquarters teams also took part.
The exercise ended with CTF 151 briefing the CMF deputy commander on the proposed seizure of equipment recovered from a suspected pirate vessel. The process rehearsed command approval and legal considerations used during maritime security operations.
The program was developed by the CTF 151 chief of staff to recreate the pace, uncertainty and information demands of counter-piracy operations.
CTF 151 will continue to train with CMF and regional partners to counter piracy and protect freedom of navigation in the Gulf of Aden, Somali Basin and wider Indian Ocean.
CTF 151 was established as a multinational task force in January 2009, and is one of five operational task forces under CMF. In conjunction with EUNAVFOR, and together with independently deployed naval ships, CTF 151 helps to patrol the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor.
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.
