Members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) who recently joined operation Artemis to lead Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 with their Australian colleagues completed their first focused operation just days after arriving in Bahrain and taking command.
Operation Queenston, which took place from December 18, 2016 to January 4, 2017, saw seven ships, multiple maritime patrol aircraft and several shore-based helicopters working as a harmonized force.
The units focused on the counter-terrorism mission of CTF 150, which operates in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman and Northern Arabian Sea. These units from Australia, France, Italy, Pakistan, the United Kingdom and the United States succeeded by coordinating and sharing information across the task force.
“During operation Queenston, CTF 150 units worked closely together to detect, deter and deny illicit activities which fund terrorist organizations,” said Commodore Haydn Edmundson. “The enduring international collaboration throughout operation Queenston is borne from a high degree of trust and confidence among the force.”
The widespread presence of CTF 150 was particularly evident during this operation. More than 900 men and women were on watch to maintain maritime security from the Suez Canal to the Strait of Hormuz, spanning 500 000 square miles.
CTF 150 is a task force under Combined Maritime Forces, which is the naval coalition of nations that promotes security and stability in the international waters of the Middle East region.
“As an organization of 31 nations, every opportunity to work together and strengthen the Combined Maritime Forces efforts towards defeating terrorism, encouraging regional cooperation, and promoting a secure maritime environment is a success,” said British Commodore Will Warrender, Deputy Commander Combined Maritime Forces.