ISLAMABAD – The Pakistan Navy is set to assume command of Combined Task Force (CTF) 151 for the eleventh time as part of its commitment to international maritime security.
The official change of command ceremony would take place on January 22 in Bahrain, where Pakistan would take over the leadership from Türkiye.
CTF 151 is one of the five task forces operating under the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), a multinational naval partnership established in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions.
The primary mission of CTF 151 is to combat maritime piracy, particularly in high-risk waters. Besides it, the task force played a crucial role in preventing human trafficking, unregulated fishing and other illicit maritime activities.
Established in January 2009, the CTF 151 operates as a multinational force, with member nations contributing naval assets to support its objectives. The task force’s core mission is to ensure the safety of global maritime trade routes and maintain secure passage for international shipping.
The presence of CTF 151 played a significant role in reducing piracy incidents.
In 2010, as many as 45 ships fell victim to piracy in the Gulf of Aden.
However, with the deployment of CTF 151, the piracy incidents significantly declined which demonstrated the effectiveness of the task force’s operations.
The Pakistan Navy’s leadership in CTF 151 reflected its commitment to the global maritime security and collaborative naval operations, and to strengthen its position as a key regional maritime force.
