Indian Navy takes command of Combined Task Force 154 under multinational maritime coalition

The Indian Navy has assumed command of Combined Task Force 154 (CTF 154), a key multinational training task force operating under the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). The move underscores India’s growing role in collaborative maritime security and capacity-building across the Indian Ocean Region and beyond.

The Change of Command ceremony was held on February 11 at the CMF headquarters in Manama, Bahrain, and was presided over by Vice Admiral Curt A Renshaw, Commander of CMF and US Naval Forces Central Command. Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff, and senior military leaders from member nations attended the event. Commodore Milind M Mokashi, a Shaurya Chakra awardee, took over as Commander of CTF 154 from his Italian Navy counterpart.

Established in May 2023, CTF 154 focuses on enhancing maritime security through multinational training programmes across the Middle East and the wider region. Its core areas include maritime domain awareness, law of the sea, maritime interdiction operations, maritime rescue and assistance, and leadership development.

The task force conducts exercises such as Compass Rose and Northern and Southern Readiness, along with outreach initiatives aimed at strengthening partner nations’ capabilities against threats like piracy, illegal trafficking and irregular migration. CTF 154 functions alongside other CMF task forces, reflecting the coalition’s coordinated approach to regional maritime security.