Combined Task Force 150

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Ships assigned to Combined Task Force One Five Zero (CTF-150) assemble in a formation in the Gulf of Oman, 6 May 2004

Combined Task Force 150 (CTF-150) is a multinational coalition

Maritime Security Operations
(MSO).

Countries presently contributing to CTF-150 include Australia, Canada, Denmark,

Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), a 33-nation coalition operating from the US Navy base in Manama, Bahrain
.

Gulf War 1990-1991

In the last half of 1953 the designation Task Force 150 was given to a U.S. Navy force involved in Operation SUNEC - Support to

Landing Ship Tanks (LSTs) and a tug; Task Group 150.3 with seven ships including two LSTs was the Pinetree Group, seemingly resupplying Pinetree Line radar stations; Task Group 150.4 was made up of four icebreakers; and Task Group 150.5 was the Cape Christian Group.[4]
(American Polar Operations, Data Sheet No. 26, p.4.)

After arrival in-theatre in late 1991, Vice Admiral

Maritime Prepositioning Force, Commander Task Group 150.7 (CTG 150.7), with the equipment for the U.S. Marine Corps aboard. After the ships had disembarked the Marine equipment in Saudi Arabia, CTG 150.7 was disestablished on 12 September 1990.[6][7]

From 1 January 1991, Commander Task Force 150 was Vice Admiral

Henry H. Mauz, Jr. himself.[8]

2002–2005

Before 11 September 2001, Task Force 150 was a U.S. Navy formation serving as part of

U.S. Naval Forces Central Command. After 11 September, it became a patrol force in the Horn of Africa region. On 5 May 2002, command of the force was handed over from the United States to Germany.[9]
The German Defence Ministry announced in Berlin that day that the leadership of the Task Force, supported by five nations, was to be handed over from Captain Frothingham (U.S. Navy) to German Admiral Gottfried Hoch.

So San assault by Spanish special forces

On 9 December 2002, the

Scud missiles, 15 conventional warheads with 250 kg of high explosive, 23 fuel tanks of nitric acid and 85 drums of chemicals. The freighter was handed over to the United States Navy. Yemen subsequently reported that the cargo belonged to them and protested against the interception, and as international law did not prohibit Yemen from purchasing the missiles the ship was released to proceed to Yemen.[10]

On 20 December 2002, a meeting was held aboard

Rear Admiral Juan Moreno, and comprised ships from France, Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom and United States.[11]

In January 2003, the task force held a

visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) exercise[12]
involving the following vessels:

Ships of the multinational fleet Combined Task Force-150

On 8 June 2005, CTF-150, under the command of Royal Navy Commodore Tony Rix, successfully conducted the boarding of the vessel Safari in international waters, leading to the seizure of 2.3 tons of hashish. The French D'Estienne d'Orves-class frigate Commandant Birot performed the boarding. The captured crew were transferred to the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS O'Kane.[13]

On 17 August 2005, French

Vice Admiral Jacques Mazars replaced Royal Navy Commodore Tony Rix as commander of CTF-150. At the time, it comprised ships of Italy, France, Germany, Pakistan, Canada, the United Kingdom and United States.[14]

2006–2008: Operations off Somalia

Anti-piracy operations

See also:
Piracy in Somalia
The Horn of Africa HOA (Green) and Horn of Africa Extended HOAEX (Red) maritime regions – the main areas of CTF-150

The CTF-150 has been engaged in

anti-piracy operations in Somalia
in parallel to other independent anti-piracy operations by countries such as China, Iran, India and Russia.

On 22 January 2006 USS Winston S. Churchill captured a suspected pirate vessel in the Indian Ocean as part of an ongoing effort to help maintain law and order in the region.[15]

In the action of 18 March 2006, two United States Navy ships were attacked by Somali pirates during an opposed boarding. In the ensuing gun battle, all the pirates were either killed or captured.

On 4 April 2006, the South Korean fishing vessel MV Dong Won reported it had come under rocket attack off the coast of Somalia. Immediately two ships from the task force, the Dutch frigate HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën and the U.S. guided-missile destroyer USS Roosevelt responded. However, the pirates had already hijacked the vessel and reached Somali territorial waters after threatening the captured crew members.[16]

On 24 April 2006,

RAdm. Shahid Iqbal of Pakistan Navy relieved Dutch Commodore Hank Ort and assumed command of the Force.[17]

On 22 August 2006, RAdm. Iqbal was relieved by German Rear Admiral Heinrich Lange.[18]

In December 2006, Lange passed control to Royal Navy Commodore Bruce Williams.

In March 2007, the Dutch frigate HNLMS Evertsen deployed to the waters of the Horn of Africa, as part of CTF-150, and in response to a request from the United Nations World Food Programme, against piracy off the Somali coast.

The CTF-150 established the Maritime Security Patrol Area on 22 August 2008, through a narrow corridor within the Gulf of Aden aimed at deterring attack and hijacking of ships seeking safe passage through the zone.[19]

Also in August 2008, the Danish command & support ship

Danish Ministry of Justice and other task force members, it was determined by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the pirates could only be prosecuted in Denmark, partly because the pirates would have faced the death penalty in the nearby states, and Danish law prohibits extraditing criminals when they might face the death penalty. Eventually, the pirates were freed, since the Danish authorities were concerned that it would be difficult to deport them back to Somalia once their sentences were served. The pirates were allowed to keep their ships, though not their weapons.[20][21]

In December 2008, Absalon was involved in the rescue of putative Somali pirates 90 miles (140 km) off Yemen in the Gulf of Aden. The craft from Somalia was reported to hold rocket-propelled grenades and AK-47 assault rifles, and to have been adrift for several days. Also per the report, Absalon took the sailors and weapons aboard, sank the craft, and turned the sailors over to the Yemen coast guard. Absalon, according to The New York Times report, "was deployed in the Gulf of Aden [in] September ['08] as part of an international effort to curb piracy."[22] part of Combined Task Force 150.

Under the leadership of officers aboard Absalon," "Task Force 150 divided the [waters] into 12 patrol "boxes", [each] of which was responsible for defending shipping in its designated area."[23]

Source: https://tvd.im/naval-warfare/3368-hdms-absalon-l16.html

Interdiction

Main articles:
Piracy in Somalia, and Battle of Ras Kamboni

Throughout 2006, the

Al Qaeda suspected of being embedded within the ranks of the Islamic Courts Union
(ICU).

Open warfare broke out between Ethiopian and the ICU forces on 20 December 2006, but until 2 January 2007 there had been no request by the Ethiopian or Somali military for CTF-150 to take action.[24] On that day, the aim of the patrols shifted to "...stop SICC leaders or foreign militant supporters escaping".[25]

On 4 January 2008 ships of the task force began performing

Commodore Bruce Williams of the Royal Navy led the task force at this time.[28]

2014–2017

March 2014 saw HMAS Arunta seize 800 kg (1,800 lb) of hashish, USS Truxtun (DDG 103) seize over 200 large firearms and 600 kg (1,300 lb) of hashish, and USS Laboon intercept 270 kg (600 lb) and then 500 kg (1,100 lb) of hashish.[29] April 2014 saw HMAS Darwin, an Adelaide-class frigate, intercept 1,032 kg (2,275 lb) of heroin from a dhow off the east coast of Africa.[30] HMS Somerset seized 60 kg (130 lb) of heroin from a dhow in the northern Arabian Sea in May 2014.[31] Then in July 2014 HMAS Darwin intercepted a further 6,248 kg (13,774 lb) of hashish on a dhow in the Indian Ocean.[32]

HMS Defender, a Type 45 Royal Navy destroyer, seized over a ton of hashish from a dhow off Oman in June 2016.[33]

In late April 2017, the French frigate Surcouf seized 400 kg (880 lb) of heroin from two dhows.[34] In May 2017, HMS Monmouth, a Type 23 British frigate, stopped and searched a fishing boat in the Indian Ocean. Monmouth discovered 455 kg (1,003 lb) of cannabis and 266 kg (586 lb) of heroin.[35]

Command history

Command history[36]
Date Country No. of times
05-Feb-02 Germany 1
02-Sep-02 Spain 1
31-Jan-03 Italy 1
01-Jun-03 Germany 2
29-Sep-03 France 1
29-Jan-04 UK 1
04-Apr-04 France 2
19-Sep-04 UK 2
06-Dec-04 Germany 3
05-Apr-05 UK 3
17-Aug-05 France 3
12-Dec-05 Netherlands 1
24-Apr-06 Pakistan 1
22-Aug-06 Germany 4
06-Dec-06 UK 4
04-Apr-07 France 4
01-Aug-07 Pakistan 2
04-Apr-08 France 5
03-Jun-08 Canada 1
15-Sep-08 Denmark 1
12-Jan-09 Germany 5
04-Apr-09 France 6
20-Jul-09 Pakistan 3
16-Dec-09 Australia 1
15-Apr-10 Pakistan 4
14-Oct-10 Australia 2
04-Apr-11 France 7
01-Aug-11 UK 5
16-Dec-11 Australia 3
17-Apr-12 Pakistan 5
30-Aug-12 UK 6
20-Dec-12 Australia 4
14-Apr-13 France 8
01-Aug-13 Pakistan 6
01-Dec-13 Australia 5
10-Apr-14 UK 7
14-Aug-14 Pakistan 7
04-Dec-14 Canada 2
06-Apr-15 France 9
30-Jul-15 Pakistan 8
03-Dec-15 Australia 6
07-Apr-16 UK 8
04-Aug-16 Pakistan 9
08-Dec-16 Canada 3
13-Apr-17 France 10
17-Aug-17 Pakistan 10
07-Dec-17 Australia 7
24-May-18 UK 9
09-Aug-18 KSA 1
06-Dec-18 Canada 4
28-Apr-19 Pakistan 11
08-Aug-19 UK 10
05-Dec-19 Australia 8
19-Mar-20 France 11
05-Aug-20 KSA 2
27-Jan-21 Canada 5
15-Jul-21 New Zealand 1
18-Jan-22 Pakistan 12
21-Jul-22 KSA 3

See also

References

  1. ^ "Dansk flåde sat ind mod pirater – International" (in Danish). Jp.dk. 20 August 2008. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  2. ^ "Pakistani Admiral Takes Command of Regional Maritime Task Force". United States Navy. 24 April 2006. Archived from the original on 9 January 2007. Retrieved 11 January 2007.
  3. ^ "Operation Deep Freeze, Dewline, Arctic & Antarctic Operations". 15 August 2014.
  4. ^ American Polar Operations
  5. ^ Pokrant 1999, p. 20.
  6. ^ Pokrant 1999, p. 21.
  7. ^ Edward J. Marolda, Robert John Schneller. Shield and Sword: The United States Navy and the Persian Gulf War. p. 84.
  8. ^ Pokrant 1999.
  9. ^ ddp news agency, Berlin – 5 May 2002 via nl.newsbank.com
  10. ^ David E. Sanger, Thom Shanker (12 December 2002). "THREATS AND RESPONSES: WAR MATERIEL; Reluctant U.S. Gives Assent For Missiles to Go to Yemen". New York Times. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  11. American Forces Press Service. 30 December 2002. Archived from the original
    on 30 December 2006. Retrieved 11 January 2007.
  12. American Forces Press Service. 6 January 2003. Archived from the original
    on 10 January 2007. Retrieved 11 January 2007.
  13. ^ "Coalition Warships Intercept Drug Smugglers". 8 June 2005. Archived from the original on 3 July 2007. Retrieved 11 January 2007.
  14. ^ "French Take Helm of Combined Task Force 150". 24 August 2005. Retrieved 11 January 2007.
  15. ^ "Suspected Pirates Captured Off Somali Coast" (Press release). Headquarters, United States Central Command. 22 January 2006. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 15 December 2006.
  16. ^ "Coalition Naval Assets Challenge Hijackers on South Korean Motor Vessel". United States Navy. 4 April 2006. Archived from the original on 11 July 2007. Retrieved 11 January 2007.
  17. ^ "Rear Adm. Shahid Iqbal assumes command of CTF 150". www.defenselink.mil. US Department of Defense. Archived from the original on 9 January 2007. Retrieved 2 June 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  18. ^ "Pakistan Navy Completes Term as Commander, Task Force 150". United States Navy. 26 August 2006. Retrieved 11 January 2007.
  19. ^ "Combined Task Force 150 Thwarts Criminal Activities". cusnc.navy.mil. 22 September 2008. Archived from the original on 28 October 2008. Retrieved 30 November 2008.
  20. ^ "Danmark løslader ti pirater" [Denmark frees ten pirates]. Politiken (in Danish). 23 September 2008. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  21. ^ "Somaliske pirater kan ende i Danmark" [Somali pirates can end up in Denmark]. Politiken (in Danish). 22 September 2008. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  22. ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  23. ^ "HDMS Absalon (L16)".
  24. ^ "No request yet from Somali leaders for help in interdicting militants, 5th Fleet says". Stars & Stripes. 2 January 2007. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 11 January 2007.
  25. ^ "Ethiopian troops to stay in Somalia weeks". Reuters. 2 January 2007. Archived from the original on 31 March 2007.
  26. London Daily Telegraph
    . 4 January 2007. Retrieved 11 January 2007.
  27. ^ "Ramage, Bunker Hill keeping an eye on Somalia". MarineTimes.com. 4 January 2007. Retrieved 4 January 2007.[permanent dead link]
  28. ^ "Combined Task Force 150 Maintains Presence Off East Coast of Africa". United States Navy. 5 January 2007. Retrieved 11 January 2007.
  29. ^ "US Navy destroyer makes second Arabian Sea drug bust in five days". Naval Today. 21 March 2017.
  30. ^ "Record heroin bust for Royal Navy-led Combined Maritime Forces Task Force". Royal Navy. 28 April 2014.
  31. ^ "HMS Somerset seizes multi-million pound heroin haul in Arabian Sea". Royal Navy. 28 May 2014.
  32. ^ "British-led Task Force leads fight against drugs in the Gulf with £18m seizure". Royal Navy. 8 July 2014.
  33. ^ "HMS Defender tackles drug traffickers off Oman". Royal Navy. 8 June 2016.
  34. ^ "French frigate seizes heroin off the Horn of Africa". Naval Today. 8 May 2017.
  35. ^ Allison, George (31 May 2017). "HMS Monmouth seizes £65m of heroin and cannabis in major drugs bust". UK Defence Journal. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  36. ^ "Combined Maritime Forces". Combined Maritime Forces. 17 September 2010.

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