Sri Lanka assumed command of the Combined Maritime Forces’ Combined Task Force (CTF) 154 on 26 January 2025 at an official ceremony. Chargé d'Affaires (a.i.) of Sri Lanka to the Kingdom of Bahrain, Madhuka Silva and Ambassador of Egypt to the Kingdom of Bahrain, Reham Abdulhamid Mahmoud Ibrahim Khalil attended the ceremony that was held at the US Naval Base in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Further, the ceremony was attended by senior officials and naval representatives from member states of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF).
Egyptian Navy Commodore, Haytham El Sayed Khalil turned over command to Sri Lanka Navy Commodore, K. M. H. Bettage and the ceremony was presided over by the Commander of Combined Maritime Forces, U.S. Navy Vice Admiral George M. Wikoff.
Sri Lanka joined the CMF in November 2023 and this will be the first time a CTF is commanded by Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka's leadership for CTF 154 will center on training and collaboration, recognizing their critical importance to maritime commerce and security, while strengthening cooperative frameworks, promoting knowledge exchange among member nations, and enhancing the preparedness of maritime forces to address evolving threats including piracy, smuggling, and other transnational maritime crimes.
CTF 154 focuses on multinational maritime training at locations across the Middle East, enabling more CMF partner-nations to participate in training opportunities. It organizes training events around five core areas: maritime awareness, maritime law, maritime interdiction, maritime rescue and assistance, and leadership development. CTF 154’s core staff consists of members from Canada, Egypt, Jordan, Seychelles, Türkiye, and the United States.
Headquartered in Bahrain with U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and U.S. 5th Fleet, the CMF is the largest multinational naval partnership in the world, with 46 nations dedicated to promoting security, stability, and prosperity across approximately 3.2 million square miles of international waters.
Embassy of Sri Lanka
Manama
29 January 2025
