COMBINED MARITIME FORCES
Representatives of the international maritime community met in Bahrain in June 2015 to discuss counterpiracy efforts.
The Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE) conference offered a vital opportunity for military and civilian representatives to meet, share information and discuss cooperation to suppress piracy in the region. The conference discussed the causes of piracy, deterrence operations and protection of merchant shipping.
Rear Adm. Hiroshi Ito, commander of Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, the multinational counterpiracy task force, said that a collaborative approach is important: “It is by working with other task forces and regional partners that we are able to deliver the most effective deterrent and capitalize on the efficient use of our resources. Working together in this way optimizes counterpiracy efforts through international cooperation by globally engaged nations and partners.”
CTF-151 is one of three task forces operated by Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), headquartered in Bahrain. In accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolutions and in cooperation with nonmember forces, CTF-151’s mission is to disrupt piracy and armed robbery at sea. It helps regional and other partners to build capacity and improve capabilities to protect global maritime commerce and freedom of navigation.
CTF-151 is a multinational force whose command is rotated among participatory nations every three to six months. The force fluctuates as ships and aircraft from a variety of countries assign vessels, aircraft and personnel to the task force.
While piracy near Somalia has been suppressed in recent years, the threat to shipping still exists. The multinational, multiagency approach taken by SHADE is unique in addressing piracy concerns. No pirate attacks have succeeded since May 2012, but officials fear the threat could re-emerge without an effective counterpiracy deterrent.