S'PORE HANDS OVER COMMAND OF MULTINATIONAL COUNTER-PIRACY TASK FORCE

Rear-Admiral (RADM) Bernard Miranda from the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) handed over command of the Combined Task Force (CTF) 151 to RADM Lee Beomrim from the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) on board the vessel ROKS Kang Gam Chan on 21 Apr.

The CTF 151 command team and liaison officers, comprising 29 Singaporeans and six personnel from Australia, France, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Korea, had begun operations to deter and disrupt piracy in the Gulf of Aden (GoA) and the Somali Basin on 20 Jan this year.

Under the RSN's command of CTF 151, the task force responded successfully to calls for assistance and coordinated efforts by naval forces from the European Union, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and other countries, to secure the freedom of navigation for international shipping in the region.

Officiating at the ceremony was Vice-Admiral (VADM) William E. Gortney, Commander Combined Maritime Forces. Commending Singapore on its three-month leadership of CTF 151, he said: "Whether coordinating the efforts of Coalition vessels, deploying boarding teams to suspicious dhows, or educating commercial mariners on best management practices, Rear-Admiral Miranda's team has consistently been the driving force behind these measures of effectiveness and has raised the bar for future task force commanders."

In his speech at the ceremony, RADM Miranda reiterated the accomplishments of the task force since January: "While the main focus of my command remained the mission to deter, disrupt and suppress piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the Somali Basin, I also put much emphasis on the interoperability and readiness of all units assigned to CTF 151, as well as the well-being and safety of all those involved in the day-to-day tasks in this mission."

During its deployment period, among its other initiatives and engagement efforts, the CTF 151 command team and liaison officers established a Shore Coordination Team at the US Naval Support Activity in Bahrain so as to reach a better level of integration of activities and information exchange with its partner navies operating in the GoA.

Pointing out that maintaining maritime security in the region remains a challenging task, RADM Miranda said: "The CTF 151 battlespace is highly dynamic and always evolving, characterised by an adversary that is vastly adaptive, increasingly daring and exceedingly driven by the prospects of monetary gain."

Nonetheless, while there has been an increase in piracy activity in the Somali Basin, the actions of international counter-piracy forces have made significant progress in the containment and disruption of pirate activities.

Moving forward, RADM Miranda expressed confidence in the future direction of CTF 151 under the command of RADM Lee: "He will continue the fine work of CTF 151 and will ably lead this fine task force to new heights in our endeavours to keep the seas safe always."

As part of the continuing multilateral efforts to counter piracy in the GoA, a Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) task group, composed of an RSN Landing Ship Tank (LST), RSS Persistence, and two Super Puma helicopters, was earlier deployed to the region from Apr to Jul 2009.

A second task group, comprising an LST with two Super Puma helicopters on board, will be deployed from Jun to Oct 10. A Fokker 50 Maritime Patrol Aircraft will also be deployed later this year to provide surveillance support in the region.