Naval leaders and shipping industry experts from 21 nations arrived at the Royal Bahrain Naval Base July 7 for a series of counterpiracy meetings.
Royal Bahrain Navy Brig. Gen. Abdulla Saeed Al Mansoori hosted the meeting. Known as the SHared Awareness and DEconfliction (SHADE) meetings, sponsored by the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) and European Union (EU), these gatherings provide a working-level opportunity for navies and organizations to come together to share information and deconflict counterpiracy efforts off the coast of Somalia. Senior officers from NATO, the EU, China, Russia and India attended the SHADE meetings.
"These meetings are vital to streamlining and maximizing counterpiracy efforts in the region," said Capt. Chris Chambers, director, CMF. "By synchronizing and deconflicting our efforts, Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, EU, NATO and other international forces are making a difference by deterring and disrupting acts of piracy off the coast of Somalia."
Following the establishment of CTF 151, the CMF staff determined that it would be helpful to implement working-level meetings ashore to discuss counterpiracy coordination and deconfliction.
Initially commanded by the U.S. Navy, CTF 151 is now commanded by the Turkish Navy. The command staff is comprised of personnel from Turkey, the United States, the United Kingdom, Pakistan and Greece. The command staff manages daily operations from USS Anzio (CG 68) operating in the Gulf of Aden.
CTF 151 is a multinational task force established to conduct counterpiracy operations under a mission-based mandate throughout the CMF Area of Operations to actively deter, disrupt and suppress piracy in order to protect global maritime security and secure freedom of navigation for the benefit of all nations.
CTF 151 operates in the Gulf of Aden and off the eastern coast of Somalia and is commanded by Turkish Rear Adm. Caner Bener.