Ashraf AboArafe
It’s announced that the Royal Saudi Naval Forces handed over the command of Combined Task Force (CTF 152) to their Kuwaiti counterparts in an official ceremony held at the US Naval Support Base in the Fifth Fleet in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Brigadier General Talal Al-Kandari of the Kuwaiti Naval Forces took over the command of Combined Task Force (CTF 152) from Colonel Asim bin Marai Al-Omari of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces.
During the Royal Saudi Naval Forces’ leadership, Combined Task Force (CTF 152) carried out a number of qualitative operations to impose maritime security in areas of responsibility, ensure the free and safe flow of global shipping lines, and deter and stop non-governmental organizations from carrying out criminal and terrorist activities. These operations included conducting mixed naval exercises, conducting joint patrols, implementing a number of focused operations in areas of responsibility, holding a number of “command center” courses, and ship storming and inspection courses with US forces for a number of trainees.
The force, which was established in 2004, is one of five task forces operating within the Combined Naval Forces of the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain.
It aims to enhance maritime cooperation at the regional level, support maritime security in the Arabian Gulf, protect infrastructure in international waters, and combat illegal activities and terrorist threats.
The handover ceremony was attended by the Commander of the US Naval Forces Central Command, Commander of the US Fifth Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces, Vice Admiral George Wyckoff, Rear Admiral Mohammed bin Hamed Al-Ghamdi from the Navy, and a number of ambassadors, attachés and the diplomatic corps in Manama.
