Egyptian Navy assumes command of Combined Maritime Forces' Red Sea Task Force

The Egyptian Navy assumed command of the Combined Maritime Forces’ (CMF) Combined Task Force (CTF) 153 from the Royal Australian Navy at a ceremony held at Naval Support Activity Bahrain on Wednesday, April 9.

Royal Australian Navy Captain Jorge McKee handed over command of CTF 153 to Egyptian Navy Commodore Mohamed Rasmy at a ceremony presided over by US Navy Vice Admiral George Wikoff, commander of CMF.

CTF 153 is responsible for maritime security in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

Under Captain McKee’s leadership, the task force, comprised of 44 officers from 13 nations, collaborated closely with other CMF task forces, the Joint Maritime Information Center, and the US Navy’s Task Forces 55 and 59 to enhance maritime security in the Red Sea and Western Gulf of Aden.

Established on April 17, 2022, CTF 153 is one of five task forces under CMF. Its mission is to deter and impede illicit non-state actors in the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and the Gulf of Aden.

CTF 153’s area of responsibility includes some of the world’s most important shipping lanes, connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Indian Ocean and the greater Middle East region.