Currently Commanded by:

Royal Saudi Navy 

Established in March 2004, Combined Task Force (CTF) 152 is one of five task forces operated by Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). CTF 152 enhances regional maritime cooperation focusing on illicit non-state actors in the Arabian Gulf, especially between Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations.

CTF 152 operates inside the Arabian Gulf where it coordinates Theatre Security Cooperation (TSC) activities with regional partners, conducts Maritime Security Operations (MSO), and remains prepared to respond to any crisis involving illicit non-state actors which may develop.

CTF 152 also operates to protect the international waters around key maritime infrastructure, including oil platforms, from a terrorist threat. CTF 152 operations influence events ashore as criminal groups and other non-state actors seek to undermine maritime security or conduct other unlawful activity are denied the freedom to conduct activities to further their cause.

History

The Arabian Gulf is a 989-kilometer (615-mile)-long inland sea that separates Iran from the Arabian Peninsula. Countries with a coastline on the Arabian Gulf include Iran, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Iraq.

Today, the Arabian Gulf is one of the most strategically important waterways in the world due to its importance in world oil transportation. It contains approximately 800 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, representing nearly half of the world’s oil, and over 2,800 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves (42.5% of the world total). Arabian Gulf countries maintain about one-third of the world’s productive oil capacity. Most of the oil exported from the Arabian Gulf is transported by sea.

Members of Saudi Border Guard conduct Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) drills in the Arabian Gulf during CTF 152 Exercise Falcon Warrior, June 2021.

Composition

Command of CTF 152 is rotated between participating nations on a three-to-twelve-month basis. Countries that have commanded CTF 152 include Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and UAE. A variety of other countries also assign vessels, aircraft, and personnel to the task force, including Qatar, the UK, the U.S., and Australia.

CTF 152 Command History