Currently Commanded by:

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 is one of five task forces operated by Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). CTF 150 conducts Maritime Security Operations (MSO) outside the Arabian Gulf to ensure that legitimate commercial shipping can transit the region, free from non-state threats.

CTF 150’s mission is to disrupt criminal and terrorist organizations and their mandated related illicit activities by restricting their freedom of maneuver in the maritime domain. CTF 150’s activities deny criminal and terrorist organizations a risk-free method of conducting operations or moving personnel, weapons, or income-generating narcotics and charcoal.

Royal Navy and Royal Marines aboard HMS Lancaster stand with more than 1,300 kg of narcotics seized from a vessel in the Arabian Sea, April 10, 2024. 

CTF 150’s Area of Operations (AOO) includes some of the world’s busiest shipping lanes and spans over two million square miles, covering the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman (but not inside the Arabian Gulf, which is the responsibility of CTF 152). This area is a vital artery of world trade from the Far East to Europe and the U.S., with thousands of shipping movements per year including the transportation of over 27 million barrels of oil. In addition, the AOR contains the approaches to three narrow waterways, known as ‘choke points’, where vessels are required to pass closely between two shorelines. These are the Strait of Hormuz, Bab al-Mandeb, and the Suez Canal. This means ships have limited maneuverability and are more vulnerable than would otherwise be the case in open waters.

Members of USCGC Clarence Sutphin Jr. board a dhow, April 10, 2024, during OPERATION CRIMSON BARRACUDA led by CTF 150.

History

Task Force 150 was a U.S. Navy formation under the control of the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (CENTCOM). After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, it was re-established as a multinational coalition to undertake counter-terrorism operations at sea as part of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). The coalition has grown and evolved beyond that operation’s scope to encompass and address wider maritime security threats from mandated illicit non-state actors to member states.

Composition

CTF 150 is a multinational task force. Participating nations have included: Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Spain, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Command of CTF 150 generally rotates between nations on a four-month basis.

Maritime Security Operations (MSO)

Maritime Security Operations (MSO) are intelligence-led and carefully planned to develop security in the maritime environment, thereby contributing to stability and prosperity on a regional and global level.

Boarding teams from the FS Nivôse approach a suspicious dhow leading to the capture of 1,494 lbs. of methamphetamine and heroin, March 19, 2021.

MSO deter and deny the use of the maritime environment to criminal and terrorist organizations and the facilitation of their malign activities. MSO complement the security efforts of regional nations on land. MSO are conducted under international maritime law and international maritime conventions to help ensure security and safety in international waters. This ensures that all commercial shipping can operate freely while transiting the region.

CTF 150 vessels also assist mariners in distress and undertake humanitarian work as required.

CTF 150 Command History