Tri-Service
Royal Navy To Lead Piracy Mission
The Royal Navy has taken command of the mission to disrupt and deter terrorists, pirates and smugglers across a huge area.
Combined Task Force 150 is an element of the Combined Maritime Forces - a multinational naval partnership that operates across more than 3 million square miles of international waters.
The route across the Indian Ocean towards the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea is one particular problem area.
The navies of several countries are involved - including the UK, US, Canada and Saudi Arabia.
The lead role was previously held by the Australian Navy, but in a special ceremony in Bahrain, Commodore Guy Robinson assumed command. He said.
"I am hugely grateful for all the hard work done by our Australian and Canadian predecessors and look forward to building on the strong foundations that have already been laid.
"Through continued close co-operation with the CMF team we will ensure that our efforts contribute effectively towards the achievement of longer-term objectives."
CTF 150 has had a number of successes to date. The Australian ships HMAS Melbourne and Darwin seized 4 shipments of drugs, including a ton of heroin.
Its acknowledged that smugglers are taking narcotics and weapons to fund terrorist activities by the likes of Islamic State, Al Qaeda and Al Shabab.
The Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said.
"The UK has one of the strongest navies in the world. Leading this important joint force underlines our commitment, both to working with allies to fight Daesh and to tackling terrorism across the region."
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