The Egyptian Navy assumed command of the Combined Maritime Forces’ (CMF) Combined Task Force (CTF) 153 from the Royal Australian Navy at a ceremony held on Wednesday aboard Naval Support Activity Bahrain.
The task force, comprised of 44 officers from 13 nations, collaborated closely with other CMF task forces, the Joint Maritime Information Center, and the U.S. Navy’s Task Forces 55 and 59 to enhance maritime security in the Red Sea and Western Gulf of Aden.
Established on April 17, 2022, CTF 153 is one of five task forces under CMF. Its mission is to deter and impede illicit non-state actors in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab and Gulf of Aden.
CTF 153’s area of responsibility includes some of the world’s most important shipping lanes, connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Indian Ocean and the greater Middle East region.
Combined Maritime Forces, a 46-nation naval partnership headquartered in Bahrain, is the world’s largest multinational naval partnership. It is committed to upholding the rules-based international order at sea, promoting security, stability and prosperity across approximately 3.2 million square miles of international waters, including crucial shipping lanes.