Commodore Abdul Aleem of Pakistan Navy handed over the command of CTF-151 to Rear Admiral Harris Weng Yip Chan, Republic of Singapore Navy after an eventful period of four months. The change of command took place onboard HMS CORNWALL alongside USS MASON, the command ship for the incoming CTF-151, in Djibouti, said a press release received here on Thursday.
Combined Task Force 151 (CTF 151) is the multinational taskforce operating as Counter Piracy (CP) segment of Combined Maritime Forces Headquarters in Bahrain. It is conducting counter-piracy operations under UNSC resolutions to curb piracy in the Gulf of Eden, North Arabian Sea and the Somalia Basin. This vast area hosts a number of sea-lanes connecting East and West that contain vital supply routes and can be termed as the lifeline for world's leading economies. It is worth noting that around 33,000 ships pass every year through Gulf of Aden, alone. The entire area is, however, threatened by menace of piracy, which is ever growing.
Despite Pakistan Navy's limited resources, it has been an active participant in counter piracy operations since inception of coalition of forces conducting these operations in the region around Somalia. Pakistan is the only regional country to have been entrusted with the command of CTF-151, besides command of CTF-150 Assignment of Command of CTF-151 to Pakistan This is a reflection of Pakistan Navy's professional competence and resolve through which it has made its place amongst the coalition nations.-PR