Pakistan Navy on Jan. 18 assumed command of Multinational Combined Task Force-150.
Pakistan Navy Commodore Waqar Muhammad became the new Commander of the Combined Task Force, succeeding Royal New Zealand Navy Capt. Brendon Clark. The change of command ceremony was held at Naval Support Activity Bahrain, Jan. 18.
Commodore Waqar Muhammad is the 12th Pakistan Navy officer to lead the CTF 150. He is reporting from Pakistan Navy headquarters where he was the commodore of Operational Training and Evaluation. Speaking on the occasion, he expressed the determination of the Pakistan Navy to continue to work with the navies of other countries for peace and stability in the region.
“My team is fully geared up to efficiently shoulder this prestigious responsibility to contribute towards maritime security and stability in the region. The Pakistan Navy believes in collaborative maritime security and will continue to work with coalition navies to safeguard peace and stability at sea.”
The Commander said the Task Force is performing its duties in the Indian Ocean under the supervision of Combined Maritime Forces.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to have commanded Combined Task Force 150, leading a professional, high performing, and agile team,” said the outgoing CTF 150 commander, Brendon Clark.
“As a staff we achieved outstanding results, seizing in regional wholesale value $74.5 million worth of narcotics – the second largest haul in dollar value from a command team in the 20-year history of CMF,” he added.
Established in 2002, CTF 150 is one of three task forces under Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). The Taskforce carries out maritime security operations in the Indian Ocean under the supervision of Combined Maritime Forces to make sure that lawful commercial shipping can travel through the region, without the fear of non-state threats. The Combined Task Force also ensures counter-terrorism and curbs other illegal activities at sea.