The Brazilian Navy will lead a multinational task force to combat piracy in the Horn of Africa. More precisely, it is the Combined Task Force 151.
The information comes from an official communiqué issued by the Brazilian Navy. It was confirmed that the institution received the command of Combined Task Force 151 on August 18.
The transfer of command was carried out through an official ceremony in Manama, Bahrain. Thus, Rear Admiral André Luiz Andrade Felix of the Brazilian Navy was appointed as head of the Multinational Task Force, serving a mandate from August this year until February 2023.
Combined Task Force 151 is a Multinational Task Force created in 2009, grouping more than thirty nations. Its primary mission is to combat piracy in the Gulf of Aden and on the east coast of Somalia, known as the Horn of Africa. Its tasks also include preserving and securing the maritime trade routes in the area.
In this sense, the Combined Task Force 151 is one of the four Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), organized “to promote the fight against piracy, as well as security and stability in approximately 3.2 million square miles of international waters, covering some of the most important maritime routes in the world, including the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Oman, the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea,” the Brazilian Navy indicated in its official statement.
In turn, it operates in conjunction with other ongoing operations, such as the European Union’s (EU) Operation Atalanta and NATO’s Operation Ocean Shield.
Voluntarily, the participation of the Brazilian Navy in this type of deployment demonstrates the country’s commitment to the international community.
Thus, Brazil has become the first and only South American country to command this type of multinational effort in Africa and the Middle East on more than one occasion.
The previous one was carried out between June and November 2021.
“The Brazilian Navy, by taking command of CTF-151, reinforces Brazil’s position as an actor capable of contributing to the effort to maintain and secure lines of communication, participating in an international coalition to combat piracy while respecting the limits of action of the Brazilian state.
“It is also a unique opportunity to consolidate knowledge at the operational and tactical level, thus improving doctrine and procedures in the areas of Security Operations, Defense, and Maritime Traffic Control, among others,” highlighted the Brazilian Navy.
With information from Zona Militar