UNIPATH STAFF
Reaffirming Egypt’s commitment to fight maritime crimes and safeguard international shipping routes, the Egyptian Navy assumed temporary command of Combined Task Force 153 (CTF 153) from December 2022 to June 2023.
U.S. Navy Captain Robert Francis, who helped establish CTF 153 in April 2022, handed command to Egyptian Navy Rear Adm. Mahmoud Abdelsattar in a ceremony in Bahrain in which he commended Egypt’s navy.
“I am incredibly proud of our efforts since launching this new task force only eight months ago … It is a true honor to hand over command to an incredibly strong regional maritime partner like Egypt. I know the task force will continue to execute as one dynamic team, and I will always be celebrating their accomplishments from afar,” Capt. Francis said.
One of four Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), CTF 153 was established to promote international maritime security and safeguard global shipping routes in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb and Gulf of Aden.
“Egypt assumes command of the force based on its pivotal role and close cooperation with the naval forces of member countries to reaffirm our shared responsibilities in promoting security in all areas and sea lanes and providing safe passage for ships and confronting all shapes and forms of organized crimes detrimental to global trade and the interests of partner nations,” Egyptian Armed Forces spokesman Col. Gharib Abdel Hafez Gharib said.
Co-located at U.S. Naval Support Activity Bahrain, CMF represents a multinational partnership aimed at defeating terrorism, encouraging regional cooperation, preventing piracy, and promoting security over approximately
3.2 million square miles of international waters.
Underscoring its commitment to fight terrorism around the globe, Egypt joined CMF in April 2021 to become its 34th member nation.
Sources: Egyptian Defense Ministry, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, Sky News