In a statement, Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, head of the US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT), 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), affirmed that the establishment of CTF 154 demonstrates Washington's deep commitment to strengthening and expanding partnerships through training activities to enhance maritime security in the Middle East. "Our navies are most effective when we train, operate and work together," Vice Adm. Cooper said.

Breaking Defense quoted Mr. Tim Hawkins, spokesman for NAVCENT, 5th Fleet and CMF, as saying that CTF 154 will take the lead in organizing multinational maritime training activities throughout the Middle East. Stressing the importance of “greater cooperation,” Mr. Hawkins said that these training activities will be held throughout the year based on requests from partner countries, focusing on core issues such as maritime domain awareness, maritime law, maritime assistance and rescue, etc. “Each training activity will be designed to meet the needs of partners, from basic to advanced levels,” Mr. Hawkins affirmed.

The Egyptian Navy frigate ENS Alexandria (F911) and the US Navy amphibious command ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) operate in the Red Sea in support of CTF 153, April 2022. Photo: Breaking Defense.

As one of the CMF’s special forces, CTF 154 is assessed by the Breaking Defense website to have a “wider” scope of operations than the other forces. Mr. Nick Childs, a senior researcher on naval and maritime security at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) based in the UK, said that the scope of operations of CTF 154 “reaches out across the region”. “This seems to be an effort to reach out more widely to enhance the capacity of partner navies in the Middle East, thereby improving the effectiveness of cooperation as well as creating conditions for these forces to be able to take on additional roles in a series of maritime security missions, especially once the US changes its presence and some resources are deployed to other regions,” Mr. Childs commented.

Sharing the same view, Mr. Ryan Bohl, senior analyst on the Middle East and North Africa at the RANE Network consulting firm (USA), said that it is necessary to link the birth of CTF 154 with the context of Washington trying to shift its focus from the Middle East to the European and Indo- Pacific regions. "The US has interests in enhancing the capacity of partner countries in the Middle East such as Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain. Improving the capacity of the naval forces of these countries will compensate for the security impacts of the possibility of the US diverting its forces," analyst Bohl affirmed.

Vice Admiral Brad Cooper speaks at the founding ceremony of CTF 154 in Bahrain. Photo: Al Arabiya

CTF 154 is the fifth task force of the CMF. Other CMF task forces include CTF 150, which focuses on maritime security in the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean, CTF 151, which leads counter-piracy efforts in the Middle East, CTF 152, which focuses on maritime security in the Arabian Gulf, and CTF 153, which focuses on maritime security in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The CMF, which was established in 2001 and is headquartered in Bahrain with NAVCENT and the 5th Fleet, is a US-led maritime security coalition in the Middle East.

As the world ’s largest multinational naval cooperation framework, the CMF is identified by the US as the “cornerstone” of its security partnerships in the Middle East, according to Al Arabiya. With 38 participating countries, the main focus of the CMF is to counter terrorism, prevent piracy, encourage cooperation and promote a safe maritime environment in the Middle East, home to some of the world’s most important shipping lanes. “As a collective, the CMF has tremendous experience and knowledge, along with critical skills, tools and relationships. Ready together and stronger together is the essence of the CMF,” said Colonel Oliver Herion, commander of CTF 154.

HOANG VU