Singapore Successfully Completes Command of Multinational Counter-Piracy Task Force

Rear-Admiral Saw Shi Tat (left) handing over command of CTF 151 to incoming Commander Captain Ali Alrashidi (right) at the Change of Command Ceremony in the presence of Commander, Combined Maritime Forces, Vice Admiral Scott A. Stearney.

Singapore has successfully completed its fifth command of the multinational Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, as part of the international counter-piracy efforts in the Gulf of Aden (GoA). Rear-Admiral (RADM) Saw Shi Tat from the Republic of Singapore Navy handed over command of CTF 151 to Captain Ali Alrashidi of the Kuwait Naval Force earlier today at the Naval Support Activity in Bahrain. The ceremony was witnessed by Commander, Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), Vice Admiral (VADM) Scott A. Stearney. Singapore's Chief of Staff - Naval Staff RADM Timothy Lo attended the ceremony.
 
The CTF 151 command team comprised 53 Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) personnel, and 11 international officers from Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Brunei, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and the United Kingdom. Over the past three months, the CTF 151 command team coordinated operations to deter and disrupt piracy in the GoA. This included overseeing the operations of naval forces deployed under the ambit of CTF 151, as well as the sharing of CTF 151’s fused counter-piracy picture with CMF task forces, partners such as the European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) CTF 465, and independently deployed navies from China and India. 
 
The command team also engaged maritime partners in Djibouti and Oman to improve relations and enhance cooperation in counter-piracy efforts in the GoA. Additionally, the team facilitated joint exercises involving CTF 151 and CTF 465 units, as well as coordinated a series of counter-piracy operations involving CMF units, EU NAVFOR forces and other maritime stakeholders from the region and international maritime agencies to improve interoperability. As a result of these collective efforts, there were no piracy attacks in the CTF 151's area of responsibility during Singapore's command tenure.
 
Highlighting Singapore's commitment towards keeping strategic waterways such as the GoA safe for international trade, RADM Saw said, "Singapore is a maritime nation, and the uninhibited flow of seaborne trade is absolutely critical to our nation’s prosperity and survival. The Republic of Singapore Navy will continue to contribute towards efforts to protect global maritime trade and to ensure the free flow of commerce." Commending Singapore for its contributions to the multinational counter-piracy efforts in the GoA, VADM Stearney said, "Whether it was improving our relationships with key leaders in the region, overseeing hundreds of hours of airborne surveillance of critical maritime reaches, or keeping the sea lanes of the Gulf of Aden safe while rendering assistance to mariners at risk when needed, RADM Saw and his team left an impressive mark on the Combined Maritime Forces. The good performance by the team is also a testament to the professionalism, dedication and commitment of the members of the Singapore Armed Forces."
 
This year's deployment marked the 11th SAF deployment to the multinational counter-piracy efforts in the GoA. Since the start of the SAF's contribution to CTF 151 in 2009, Singapore has deployed more than 1,400 servicemen and women, five SAF command teams, five task groups each comprising a ship with helicopter(s), and one detachment of an F-50 maritime patrol aircraft.

SAF personnel working together with international officers to coordinate CTF 151's counter-piracy efforts in the Gulf of Aden.