page_title: Combined Task Force 150
section_title: 2002–2005
hierarchical_section_title: Combined Task Force 150 / 2002–2005
caption_attribution_description: English: Ships from the Multinational Combined Task Force One Five Zero (CTF-150) sail in formation for a photo opportunity while underway in the Gulf of Oman, in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. Identifiable ships picture left-to-right: The German Navy, Bremen Class (Type 122) Frigate, FGS AUGSBURG (F 213), the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF), Murasame Class Destroyer, SAMIDIRE (D-106); the New Zealand Navy, Anzac (Meko 200) Class Frigate, HMNZS TE MANA (F 111); the Italian Navy Maestrale Class, Frigate, ITS SCIROCCO (F 573); the Spanish Navy Santa Maria Class Frigate, SPS NUMANCIA (F 83); the US Navy (USN) Ticonderoga Class: Guided Missile Cruiser USS LEYTE GULF (CG 55); the JMSDF Fleet Support Ship, TOWADA (AOE 422); and the USN Spruance Class: Destroyer, USS CUSHING (DD 985). The multinational Combined Task Force One Five Zero (CTF-150) was established to monitor, inspect, board, and stop suspect shipping to pursue the war on terrorism and includes operations currently taking place in the North Arabia Sea to support Operation Iraqi Freedom. Countries contributing to CTF-150 currently include Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Pakistan, New Zealand, Spain, United Kingdom and the United States.
context_page_description: Combined Task Force 150 is a multinational coalition naval task force working under the 33-nation coalition of Combined Maritime Forces and is based in Bahrain established to monitor, board, inspect, and stop suspect shipping to pursue the "Global War on Terrorism" and in the Horn of Africa region includes operations in the North Arabia Sea to support operations in the Indian Ocean. These activities are referred to as Maritime Security Operations.
  Countries presently contributing to CTF-150 include Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Pakistan, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. Other nations who have participated include Italy, India, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Thailand and Turkey. The command of the task force rotates among the different participating navies, with commands usually lasting between four and six months. The task force usually comprises 14 or 15 ships. CTF-150 is coordinated by the Combined Maritime Forces, a 33-nation coalition operating from the US Navy base in Manama, Bahrain.
context_section_description: Before 11 September 2001, Task Force 150 was a U.S. Navy formation serving as part of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command. After 11 September, it became a patrol force in the Horn of Africa region. On 5 May 2002, command of the force was handed over from the United States to Germany. The German Defence Ministry announced in Berlin that day that the leadership of the Task Force, supported by five nations, was to be handed over from Captain Frothingham (U.S. Navy) to German Admiral Gottfried Hoch.
  On 9 December 2002, the Spanish frigate Navarra intercepted and boarded the freighter So San, several hundred miles southeast of Yemen at the request of the U.S. government as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. So San, sailing without a flag, attempted evasive action, so Navarra after firing four warning shots into the water at the bow of the ship and rifle fire on the ship's hull, getting no answer, fired on a cable crossing So San from bow to stern to remove obstacles and proceeded to approach it from a helicopter. The ship from North Korea was carrying a cargo of 15 Scud missiles, 15 conventional warheads with 250 kg of high explosive, 23 fuel tanks of nitric acid and 85 drums of chemicals. The freighter was handed over to the United States Navy. Yemen subsequently reported that the cargo belonged to them and protested against the interception, and as international law did not prohibit Yemen from purchasing the missiles the ship was released to proceed to Yemen.
  On 20 December 2002, a meeting was held aboard USS Mount Whitney with military leaders from Djibouti regarding the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa. At the time, CTF-150 was commanded by Spanish Rear Admiral Juan Moreno, and comprised ships from France, Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom and United States.
  In January 2003, the task force held a visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) exercise involving the following vessels:
  Spain: Navarra (flagship, frigate)
  United States: USS Mount Whitney – (command ship)
  Germany: Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (frigate), Rhön (tanker)
  Japan: JMSDF  JDS Samidare (destroyer), JDS Myōkō (AEGIS destroyer), JDS Towada (replenishment oiler)
  On 8 June 2005, CTF-150, under the command of Royal Navy Commodore Tony Rix, successfully conducted the boarding of the vessel Safari in international waters, leading to the seizure of 2.3 tons of hashish. The French D'Estienne d'Orves-class frigate Commandant Birot performed the boarding. The captured crew were transferred to the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS O'Kane.
  On 17 August 2005, French Vice Admiral Jacques Mazars replaced Royal Navy Commodore Tony Rix as commander of CTF-150. At the time, it comprised ships of Italy, France, Germany, Pakistan, Canada, the United Kingdom and United States.
caption: Ships of the multinational fleet Combined Task Force-150
exif: {"Image ImageDescription": "040505-N-7586B-296 Gulf of Oman (May 05, 2004) A boarding team member from SNS Numancia (F 83) provides security for the team as they approach a fishing dhow to conduct a search of the vessel. The multinational Task Force 150, currently under the command of Royal Navy Commodore Tony Rix, is operating in the North Arabia Sea in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Countries contributing to Task Force 150 vary, however currently include Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Pakistan, New Zealand, Spain, United Kingdom and the United States.  Navy photo by Photographer\u00eds Mate 1st Class Bart Bauer.  \nCleared for public release by Fifth Fleet PAO", "Image Make": "NIKON CORPORATION", "Image Model": "NIKON D1X", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "200", "Image YResolution": "200", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "Adobe Photoshop CS Macintosh", "Image DateTime": "2004:05:13 15:29:46", "Image Artist": "PH1 Bauer, Bart", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Co-sited", "Image ExifOffset": "940", "GPS GPSVersionID": "[2, 0, 0, 0]", "Image GPSInfo": "1380", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "1494", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "1696", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/500", "EXIF FNumber": "6", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Shutter Priority", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0210", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2004:05:06 12:45:24", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2004:05:06 12:45:24", "EXIF ComponentsConfiguration": "YCbCr", "EXIF CompressedBitsPerPixel": "4", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "1/3", "EXIF MaxApertureValue": "3", "EXIF MeteringMode": "Pattern", "EXIF FocalLength": "35", "EXIF SubSecTime": "59", "EXIF SubSecTimeOriginal": "59", "EXIF SubSecTimeDigitized": "59", "EXIF FlashPixVersion": "0100", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "3000", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "416", "EXIF SensingMethod": "One-chip color area", "EXIF FileSource": "Digital Camera", "EXIF SceneType": "Directly Photographed", "EXIF CVAPattern": "[0, 2, 0, 2, 2, 1, 1, 0]"}