MANAMA, Bahrain --
Combined Maritime Forces, the world’s largest multinational naval partnership, completed a two-week training mission in the Indian Ocean island nation of the Seychelles, July 14, to enhance operational readiness for 160 participants from five nations.
CMF’s new maritime security training task force, Combined Task Force 154, facilitated Operation Southern Readiness in partnership with the Seychelles Defence Force. More than 50 CMF facilitators from nine nations led training courses on maritime awareness, law, interdiction, search and rescue, unmanned operations and leadership development.
“Operation Southern Readiness has been a fantastic opportunity to learn with our partners in the Seychelles Defence Force,” said Commodore Philip Dennis, commander of United Kingdom Maritime Component Command and deputy commander for CMF. “We are stronger when we train, operate and work together.”
Personnel receiving the training included participants from Comoros, Kenya, Mauritius, Seychelles and Tanzania.
This was CMF’s second iteration of Operation Southern Readiness. The first occurred last September when CMF and the Seychelles conducted similar training on the island, allowing partners to meet face-to-face, form relationships and learn from one another.
“It’s all about building relationships because relationships are the fundamental building blocks for greater collaboration at sea,” Royal Canadian Navy Cmdr. Alexis Dieryckx said last year.
CMF consists of 38 partner-nations whose forces operate in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, Arabian Gulf and Indian Ocean. The nations are united in upholding international rules-based order to protect the free flow of commerce, ensure regional maritime security and deter illicit activity by non-state actors.
CMF launched Combined Task Force 154 two months ago to organize multinational maritime training opportunities at locations across the Middle East, enabling more CMF partner-nations to participate in training opportunities without ships or aircraft, particularly during courses taught ashore.
The new task force is commanded by a U.S. Navy captain who leads a staff that is augmented by CMF partners during major training events. Another nation will assume command of Combined Task Force 154 in the coming months.