CMF Commanders come together
The Commanders from the three Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) Combined Task Forces (CTFs) have met this month to discuss maritime security.
CTF 150 visits HMCS TORONTO in Bahrain
Commodore Asif Khaliq, Pakistan Navy, who is currently the Commander of Combined Task Force (CTF) 150, recently visited the Royal Canadian Navy warship, HMCS TORONTO, whilst she was alongside in Bahrain to learn first-hand about her capabilities. TORONTO, a Halifax-class frigate, is one of the most advanced general purpose platforms in the world and has been actively participating in CTF 150 since Spring 2013, successfully conducting six seizures of illegal drug shipments during the past year. She has been assigned to CMF by the Canadian Government in order to help counter terrorism. In addition the ship and her crew are tasked with encouraging greater regional cooperation, thus setting the conditions for a safe maritime trading environment for all. Speaking of the visit to HMCS TORONTO, Commodore Khaliq said “Our visit gave the team hands on insight into TORONTO’s impressive capabilities.” It is also gave Commodore Khaliq an ideal opportunity to…
Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink
HMS Kent is currently part of the UK’s standing commitment to operations in the Arabian Gulf and the Indian Ocean, at sea for weeks on end interacting with legitimate users of the sea, whilst trying to identify and apprehend those who seek to use it for more nefarious activity. On an average day the ship will conduct around a dozen Approach and Assist Visits (AAV) to dhows and medium sized ships and boats, monitoring the patterns of life, tracking hundreds of vessels and having face-to-face contact with numerous mariners. Operating 4 000 miles from home, in a region with some 20 varieties of language and a vastly different culture presents challenges that require of HMS Kent the ability to interact diplomatically and with sensitivity to local personnel. In gaining trust and empathising with the tough existence that many of these mariners endure, there is one simple currency that secures…
CTF 150: HMS KENT JOINS INTERNATIONAL FORCE FOR GOOD
HMS KENT continues her broad ranging maritime duties, conducting Counter Piracy, Counter Terrorism patrols and curbing illegal activity from within the Arabian Gulf to the Red Sea. The ship has now joined the international Combined Task Force 150 (CTF 150), already consisting of French and Canadian warships, working with ships from Djibouti, Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Together this flotilla has established a task group to provide assurance for the safe passage of merchant vessels of any nationality through the infamous Bab Al Mendab (BAM) strait and beyond. CTF 150 is pictured in formation as it approached the eastern point of the Internationally Recognised Transit Corridor (IRTC), effectively a protected motorway of the sea for all legitimate mariners. The CTF was later joined by a warship from the Australian Navy, highlighting the importance of this stretch of water to the global economy. By delivering the ‘policing’ of the IRTC the CTF…
COMMANDER CTF 151 AND COMMANDER CTF 150 MEET ONBOARD TCG GÖKSU
On July 5, 2013, Commander, Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, Commodore Muhammad Ihsan Qadir SI Pakistan Navy (M), met with Commander, CTF 150, Captain Hervé Bléjean of the French Navy. The meeting between the two task force commanders took place at sea onboard TCG GÖKSU (F-497), the CTF 151 flagship. The Commanding Officer of TCG GÖKSU, Commander Ahmet Gül Turkish Navy, and the CTF 151 Chief of Staff, Captain Khalid Pervez Pakistan Navy, also attended the meeting. <!–more–> CTF 151 and CTF 150 are organized and operated under the command of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), which is headquartered in Bahrain. CMF is a coalition of 29 nations dedicated to securing and stabilizing the maritime environment across a huge area – spanning from the Arabian Gulf to the Suez Canal in the north and from Pakistan to Kenya in the south. CTF 150’s mission focuses on counter-terrorism operations, whereas CTF…
CTF 150: Operations in the Bab El Mandeb Strait Continues
Combined Task Force 150 (CTF 150) operations continue in the southern Red Sea, Bab el Mandeb strait and Gulf of Aden, some of the most frequented waters in the world. The third phase of this recent operation under the French command of the CTF 150 started yesterday. Indeed, after the planning then the integration phase of the different units that would have been able to coordinate the different assets available, the operation enters in its execution phase. Patrol ships from the Yemeni Coast Guard and Navy and from the Djibouti Navy joined the different ships of the CTF150 in order to start common patrols. The French commander, in charge of all activities, said, “This operation shows and reinforces the interoperability that already exists between the different navies engaged under the CTF 150 banner and the forces of the region. The coordination has exceeded the framework of the traditional meetings of…
Bahraini Naval Vessels take part in CMF Search and Rescue exercise
Units from the Bahrain Navy and Bahrain Coast Guard have recently completed a major Search and Rescue exercise off the coast of Manama, working as part of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). <!–more–> The patrol vessel RBNS Al Jaberi and the corvette RBNS Manama joined RBCGS DAR-14 for Exercise Falcon Response, designed to develop the Bahraini maritime forces’ ability to rescue distressed mariners at sea. Working with warships from the United States Navy and cutters from the United States Coast Guard, the three Bahraini vessels practiced searching wide areas of open ocean for a simulated ‘casualty’. The exercise called for close cooperation between the ships and an operations base ashore in Bahrain. Commander Rashed Al Ameen, Commanding Officer of RBNS Al Jaberi, said: “I think the integration between all the participants was outstanding. “As navies, we only get to see each other at sea. This integration isn’t something we can…
Counter Piracy Commodore And Commanding Officer Meet In Salalah
In June 2013, Commander, Combined Task Force 151 (CTF 151), Commodore Muhammad Ihsan Qadir SI (M), met with Commander Adriann Van De Sande of the Royal Netherlands Navy. Commander Van De Sande is the Commanding Officer of HNLMS VAN SPEIJK (F828), which is part of the NATO-led, Combined Task Force 508 (CTF 508). The meeting between the Commanding Officer and the Commodore took place onboard TCG GOKSU (F-497), the CTF 151 flagship, while the ship was in port in Salalah, Oman. The mission of both CTF 151 and CTF 508 is to disrupt, deter, and defeat piracy in and around the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and the Red Sea—an area that spans approximately 1.1 million square miles. This meeting allowed Commodore Qadir and Commander Van De Sande to share their experiences and the knowledge they have gained while patrolling in the Gulf of Aden and off the…
CTF 151 Meets Commander of Southern Naval Area for Royal Navy of Oman
In June, Commander, Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, Commodore Muhammad Ihsan Qadir SI (M) along with the CTF 151 Chief of Staff, Captain Khalid Pervez, called on Captain Amor Humaid Hamood Al Zakwani, the Southern Naval Area Commander for the Royal Navy of Oman. The meeting took place at the Royal Navy of Oman’s Southern Naval Area Headquarters, which is located in the port city of Salalah. CTF 151 was in Salalah for a brief port visit after conducting counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden. The Commodore and Captain Al Zakwani discussed the current state of piracy and how the Royal Oman Navy and the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF)—the multinational coalition that controls CTF 151 and other maritime task forces throughout the region—can work together to deter and defeat piracy. Although Oman is not a participating member in CMF, the country provides valuable support to CMF members during their…
Counter Piracy Task Force Commanders Meet at Sea
The Commander of Combined Task Force 151 (CTF 151), Commodore Muhammad Ihsan Qadir SI (M) and members of his staff, met recently with his NATO counterpart, Commodore Henning Amundsen, Commander of the Combined Task Force 508 (CTF 508), and members of his staff during a high seas visit to HMoNS FRIDTJOF NANSEN, the CTF 508 flagship. The mission of both CTF 151 and CTF 508 is to disrupt and deter piracy in and around the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. This meeting afforded the commanders and their staffs an opportunity to share firsthand knowledge on the ongoing counter-piracy operations in this important maritime shipping area. <!–more–> Commodore Qadir said the meeting with his NATO counterpart helped him to understand better the NATO operation and how the two task forces can continue to integrate their efforts. Additionally, the Commodore stated, “One of the most important…