CMF and NATO warships meet at sea
Officers from Japanese warship Harusame, supporting the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) counter-piracy task force, were welcomed onboard Turkish warship TCG Buyukada recently, which is operating as part of NATO’s counter-piracy mission, when the two ships were sailing in close proximity to each other in the Gulf of Aden.
Maritime Security Operations with France, Djibouti, Yemen and Saudi Arabia
Warships from 6 international navies are currently operating as part of the French led Combined Task Force 150 (CTF 150), conducting maritime security cooperation in close coordination with coastal states and regional partners in the southern Red Sea, Bab el Mandeb strait and west of the Gulf of Aden. This operation is part of a series of several maritime security operations conducted in the region by the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). The operation has been planned to establish a routine flow of information between CTF 150 assets and their regional partners and specifically the ships and Naval Operation Centres (NOCs), to be able to coordinate a wide response to any possible terrorist threat and the subsequent use of the maritime environment in this strategic area. <!–more–> This cooperation will deter the illicit activities linked to terrorism and will enable CMF forces to maintain a safe maritime area for the legitimate…
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…
COMBINED MARITIME FORCES HOST 25th INTERNATIONAL MEETING OF SHADE
The 25th Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE) conference was held on 18th September in Bahrain. The conference is held quarterly and aims to coordinate and de-conflict activities between the countries and coalitions involved in counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean. The international gathering of 110 delegates included representatives from 27 countries including military, law enforcement agencies, the shipping industry and other government officers.
The co-chairman of SHADE, Captain Harrie Welmer of NATO commenced proceedings by giving a warm welcome to all attendees. In his opening address Captain Welmer confirmed that
“Piracy activity this year has significantly reduced to similar levels of 2008. The reduction in piracy activity can be contributed towards our defensive patrolling of the area but also to an increase in the number of embarked security teams onboard merchant ships and towards the effects of ongoing operations in Somalia including its recent elections.”
THE BIG THREE ANTI-PIRACY TASK FORCES URGE SHIP OWNERS TO KEEP UP THEIR GUARD
Combined Task Force 151 (CTF 151), NATO and European Union Naval Force Somalia – Operation Atalanta (the big three) call upon the shipping industry to continue to take anti-piracy measures despite the current downward trend in piracy events.
CTF 151, EUNAVFOR & NATO HOLD FIRST ANTI-PIRACY MEET AT SEA
The Operational Heads of Combined Task Force 151, NATO and EUNAVFOR met at sea for the first time in the Gulf of Aden, on 18 Jul 12.
The Commander of Combined Task Force 151 (counter piracy) Rear Admiral Anho Chung from the Republic of Korea Navy met with his counterparts, Rear Admiral Jean Baptiste Dupuis, French EUNAVFOR Commander and Commodore Ben Bekkering, the Dutch NATO Commander aboard the NATO flagship HNLMS Evertson.
TASK FORCE COMMANDERS REVIEW RECENT PIRACY SUCCESSES
Rear Admiral Anho Chung, Commander Combined Task Force 151 (CCTF 151 – Counter Piracy Force), visited Commodore Ben Bekkering, Commander CTF 508 (NATO – Operation Ocean Shield) onboard the CTF 508 flagship, the HNLMS Evertsen. The commanders took advantage of the opportunity to meet in person when both the CTF 151 flagship, the ROKS Wang Geon (DDH 978), and the HNLMS Eversten were in port in Salalah, Oman.
CMF HOST 22ND SHADE MEETING
MANAMA, Bahrain – 115 representatives from the militaries of 27 nations, law enforcement agencies, the shipping industry andvarious governments met in Bahrain, Dec. 12-13, to discuss counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden and Somali Basin. The 22nd Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE) meeting was chaired by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and hosted by Combined Maritime Forces (CMF).
