Today, Canada assumed command of Combined Task Force 150 (CTF 150) from France at a ceremony held earlier today in Bahrain. Captain (Navy) Collin Matthews of the Royal Canadian Navy has assumed command of the multinational coalition tasked with conducting maritime security operations and capacity building in the Gulf of Oman and North Arabian Sea, until July 2024.
CTF 150 is one of five Combined Task Forces, each with its own area of operations or focus, operated by Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), the world's largest multinational maritime partnership. CMF was created in 2001 to uphold the Rules Based International Order by countering illicit actors on the high seas and promoting security and stability across the Middle East and the Horn of Africa.
Canada is currently contributing approximately 25 CAF personnel to CMF task forces, including holding the deputy commander position of CTF 154, which leads multinational training across partner nations. This also includes the contribution of staff officers to Op Prosperity Guardian, the new security initiative launched in December of 2023 under CTF 153, addressing the security challenges in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
