India Leads CTF-154 Maritime Training Force

• 14 Feb 2026

Source: IE 

For the first time, the Indian Navy has assumed command of Combined Task Force (CTF) 154, a major multinational maritime training force operating under the Combined Maritime Forces(CMF) highlighting India’s growing role in cooperative maritime security and capacity building. 

CTF-154 

• About: CTF 154, established in May 2023 under the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), is a multinational task force dedicated to maritime security training and capacity building across the Middle East and the wider region. 
  • CMF, headquartered in Bahrain, is the world’s largest multinational naval partnership comprising 47 nations committed to maintaining security and a rules-based order across vital international waters. 
• Training Focus: The task force works on Maritime Domain Awareness, Law of the Sea, Maritime Interdiction Operations, Maritime Rescue & Assistance and leadership development. 
• Composition: The core staff of CTF-154 includes personnel from Canada, Egypt, Jordan, Seychelles, Turkey and the United States, reflecting its multinational character. 
• Role: It operates alongside CTF-150 (maritime security), CTF-151 (counter-piracy), CTF-152 (Arabian Gulf security) and CTF-153 (Red Sea security). 
• Exercises: It conducts Maritime Security Enhancement Training (MSET), Compass Rose and Northern/Southern Readiness exercises to strengthen partner nations’ capabilities against piracy, illegal trafficking and irregular migration.

Read more: Combined Maritime Forces (CMF)