Pakistan takes command of CTF 150 in Bahrain - Navy News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Navy Times

Pakistan takes command of CTF 150 in Bahrain

The Pakistani navy took over command of Combined Task Force 150 in Middle Eastern waters Wednesday at a ceremony at Naval Support Activity Bahrain.

CTF 150 is tasked with patrolling the waters of the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea and the western Indian Ocean. The multinational partnership includes ships from France, Pakistan, the United Kingdom and the U.S

Pakistani Commodore Khan Hasham Bin Saddique relieved French Rear Adm. Alain Hinden, who commanded the task force for 120 days. It was the fourth time France has filled the rotational CTF 150 command post.

“Throughout these 120 days at sea, we boarded dozens of vessels, saved just as many lives, visited every nation in the region and fought off pirates,” Hinden said in a statement issued by Naval Forces Central Command. “Having to conduct a diverse nature of operations in a large area of responsibility every single day brought new challenges.”

Vice Adm. Kevin Cosgriff, commander, Naval Forces Central Command, 5th Fleet, and head of Combined Maritime Forces in the region, also attended the change-of-command ceremony.

“Coalition forces are at the forefront of maritime security operations daily,” Cosgriff said in the statement. “We are protecting essential maritime infrastructure while we continuously expand and strengthen our coalition individual and collective capabilities.”