ARABIAN GULF --
The Commander of the Royal Bahrain Naval Force visited the deployed aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) in the Arabian Gulf Jan. 16.
Commodore Mohammed Yousif Al Asam and members of the Royal Bahrain Naval Force visited the ship while the RBNS Sabha (FFG 90) conducted a maneuvering exercise with the guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG 52) and TR.
“Today’s exercise builds upon the long history of naval cooperation between our two nations,” said Al Asam. “This region is safer and more prosperous because of the vital strategic partnership between the Royal Bahrain Naval Force and the United States Navy.”
Bahrain has hosted the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command / U.S. 5th Fleet headquarters since April 10, 1993, and the partnership between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the U.S. Navy has endured for nearly 70 years.
"I appreciate the support we receive from the Kingdom of Bahrain and their hosting of U.S. Fifth Fleet, but more so, I am appreciative for all of their leadership and efforts to support maritime security throughout this critically important region," said Vice Adm. John Aquilino, commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command.
The Royal Bahrain Naval Force is a critical member of the Combined Maritime Force (CMF), having led CMF task forces inside and outside the Arabian Gulf, leading maritime security operations combating piracy and smuggling.
Bahrain took command of CMF's Combined Task Force (CTF) 151 on Nov. 2 and is the first GCC nation to lead a task force that operates outside the Gulf.
The principal mission of CTF 151 is to deter piracy and armed robbery in the maritime environment across an area of almost 3.2 million square miles, encompassing the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden, Somali Basin and Southern Red Sea. Under Bahrain's lead, the CTF works to deter pirates, reassure legitimate users of the high seas and facilitate the free flow of commerce across the area of operations.
Bahrain has also twice led CTF 152. The CMF task force operates in the Arabian Gulf conducting maritime security operations in conjunction with regional partners to prevent destabilizing activities and promote maritime security.
U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations encompasses about 2.5 million square miles of water area and includes the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean. The expanse is comprised of 20 countries and includes three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal and the Strait of Bab al Mandeb at the southern tip of Yemen.