Combined Maritime Forces Latest News
Recently, the Indian Navy has assumed command of Combined Task Force (CTF) 154, a key multinational training task force under the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF).
What is the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) and who are its members?
The CMF is the world’s largest multinational maritime partnership. It is not a formal military alliance like NATO; rather, it is a flexible partnership of 47 nations (including India) that are not bound by a fixed political or military mandate.
- Area of Operation: It guards approximately 2 million square miles of international waters. This includes critical global “choke points” like the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab-el-Mandeb, and the Suez Canal.
- Core Objective: To uphold the International Rules-Based Order (IRBO) by countering illicit non-state actors—such as pirates, smugglers, and terrorists—on the high seas.
How is the CMF organized into specialized Task Forces?
The five functional Task Forces under the CMF umbrella. Each has a specific geographic or operational focus:
- CTF 150: Maritime Security Operations outside the Arabian Gulf (Gulf of Oman and North Arabian Sea).
- CTF 151: Dedicated specifically to Counter-Piracy (famously active near the coast of Somalia).
- CTF 152: Maritime Security Operations inside the Arabian Gulf.
- CTF 153: Established recently to focus on Red Sea Maritime Security.
- CTF 154: Focuses on Maritime Security Training. This is the task force India is currently leading.
What is the significance of India commanding CTF 154?
India’s transition from an “Associate Member” (joined in 2022) to a “Full Member” and now a “Task Force Commander” signifies its role as a Net Security Provider in the Indian Ocean Region.
- Capacity Building: As the lead of CTF 154, India is responsible for organizing multinational training exercises. This allows the Indian Navy to share its expertise in boarding operations, search and rescue, and maritime law enforcement with 46 other nations.
- Strategic Autonomy: Since the CMF is a voluntary partnership, India can cooperate on global security issues without compromising its independent foreign policy.
- Countering Non-State Actors: The partnership is vital for suppressing narcotics smuggling and arms trafficking, which often fund regional instability and terrorism affecting India’s interests.
