US Navy aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) welcomed the commander of the Royal Bahrain Naval Force while underway in the Persian Gulf on January 16.
Commodore Mohammed Yousif Al Asam and members of the Royal Bahrain Naval Force visited the ship while the Bahrain Navy frigate RBNS Sabha (FFG 90) joined a maneuvering exercise with the guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG 52) and Theodore Roosevelt.
“Today’s exercise builds upon the long history of naval cooperation between our two nations,” said Al Asam. “This region is safer and more prosperous because of the vital strategic partnership between the Royal Bahrain Naval Force and the United States Navy.”
Bahrain has been home to the US Naval Forces Central Command / US 5th Fleet headquarters since April 10, 1993.
“I appreciate the support we receive from the Kingdom of Bahrain and their hosting of US Fifth Fleet, but more so, I am appreciative for all of their leadership and efforts to support maritime security throughout this critically important region,” said Vice Adm. John Aquilino, commander, US Naval Forces Central Command.
Bahrain took command of CMF’s Combined Task Force (CTF) 151 on Nov. 2 and is the first GCC nation to lead a task force that operates outside the Gulf.
The principal mission of CTF 151 is to deter piracy and armed robbery in the maritime environment across an area of almost 3.2 million square miles, encompassing the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden, Somali Basin and Southern Red Sea. Under Bahrain’s lead, the CTF works to deter pirates, reassure legitimate users of the high seas and facilitate the free flow of commerce across the area of operations.