Indian Navy takes command of CTF-154 in landmark first for Combined Maritime Forces
Manama (Bahrain), February 12. The Indian Navy has assumed command of Combined Task Force (CTF) 154 from the Italian Navy, marking its first leadership of a task force under the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF).
The change-of-command ceremony was held on February 11 at Naval Support Activity Bahrain in Manama and was presided over by US Navy Vice Admiral Curt Renshaw, Commander of CMF. Italian Navy Commodore Andrea Bielli formally handed over charge of the multinational maritime training task force to Indian Navy Commodore Milind Mokashi.
Praising Italy’s maiden tenure at the helm of CTF-154, Vice Adm. Renshaw credited Commodore Bielli with elevating the task force’s operational effectiveness and strengthening collaborative training efforts among partner nations.
During his command, Bielli oversaw Operation Compass Rose V, the largest and most complex iteration in CTF-154’s history. The exercise brought together nearly 140 maritime security professionals from 22 countries. He also conducted 34 senior leader engagements across the region and led 19 training deployments aimed at deepening engagement, particularly in CMF’s southern area of operations.
A major highlight of Italy’s tenure was Operation Southern Readiness in Kenya – the largest single training event for CTF-154 – which involved a record 160 personnel. The exercise marked the first time Kenya co-organised a major CTF-154 training programme and the first time a southern-flank nation hosted a ‘readiness’ operation. It also secured the inaugural participation of the Somalia coast guard, seen as a significant step toward bolstering regional maritime cooperation.
Expressing appreciation for the opportunity to lead the task force, Bielli said he was honoured to leave CTF-154 in the hands of what he described as one of the world’s most capable navies.
Taking charge, Commodore Mokashi underlined India’s commitment to regional security and cooperative maritime engagement. He said India’s leadership of CTF-154 reflects its support for a rules-based international order and pledged to enhance readiness and trust among partner nations through joint training initiatives.
Established in May 2023, CTF-154 focuses on multinational maritime training across the Middle East. It enables CMF partner nations to participate in shore-based training programmes even without deploying ships or aircraft. The task force concentrates on five core areas: maritime awareness, maritime law, maritime interdiction, maritime rescue and assistance, and leadership development. Its core staff includes personnel from Canada, Egypt, Jordan, Seychelles, Türkiye and the United States.
CTF-154 is one of five operational task forces under CMF. The others include CTF-150, which focuses on maritime security in the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean; CTF-151, which leads counter-piracy operations; CTF-152, dedicated to security in the Arabian Gulf; and CTF-153, tasked with capacity building and maritime security in the Red Sea.
Headquartered in Bahrain alongside US Naval Forces Central Command and the US Fifth Fleet, CMF is the world’s largest multinational naval partnership, comprising 46 member nations. The coalition works to uphold the international rules-based order at sea and safeguard stability across roughly 3.2 million square miles of international waters, including some of the globe’s most critical shipping lanes.
