INDIAN NAVY COMPLETES MAIDEN COMMAND OF COMBINED TASK FORCE 154

The Indian Navy completed its maiden command of a Combined Maritime Forces task force. It relinquished command of Combined Task Force 154 at a ceremony in Manama, Bahrain, on 14 October 2026. The eight-month tenure strengthened India's contribution to multinational maritime training, capacity building and cooperative security.

Commodore Milind M Mokashi formally handed over responsibility to Commander Melissa Desjardins, Deputy Commander CTF 154. She received command on behalf of Combined Maritime Forces Headquarters. Senior officials from India, Bahrain, CMF and partner nations attended, while Vice Admiral Manish Chadha joined by video link.

The command produced a substantial training programme. It included 20 Staff Enhancement Training engagements, two major multinational exercises and the first Subject Matter Expert Exchange on Piracy and Armed Robbery. Activities generated more than 7,800 training hours and involved personnel from 39 countries. The result was both a completed command and a broader demonstration of India's ability to lead multinational maritime training.

Combined Task Force 154 is a dedicated multinational maritime training task force within the Combined Maritime Forces. Established in May 2023, it helps partner nations improve professional competence, work smoothly together and develop maritime capacity. Its purpose is training rather than a single national operation.

Under India's command, CTF 154 organised Staff Enhancement Training, major multinational exercises and the first Subject Matter Expert Exchange on Piracy and Armed Robbery. Sessions covered Maritime Domain Awareness, maritime law enforcement, information sharing, counter-piracy, cyber resilience and operational planning. These activities used expertise from navies, CMF task forces, regional agencies and specialist institutions.

This role matters because maritime security challenges cross national boundaries. Training creates common knowledge, procedures and working relationships before countries must cooperate at sea. India's tenure showed how CTF 154 can connect partner nations through structured learning, practical exercises and specialist exchanges. It also demonstrated CMF's emphasis on long-term capability development.

The eight-month command was broad in both activity and reach. Indian Navy-led CTF 154 conducted 20 Staff Enhancement Training engagements and two major multinational training exercises. Together, these initiatives generated more than 7,800 training hours and involved personnel from 39 countries.

The participation figures show the scale more clearly. The Staff Enhancement Training and Subject Matter Expert Exchange engagements recorded over 1,100 participant attendances. Operation Compass Rose 26-1 brought together 137 participants, 11 observers and 21 facilitators from 25 partner nations and 13 organisations. Operation Southern Readiness 26-2 added 276 personnel from 27 countries and about 3,800 training hours.

These numbers describe more than a busy schedule. They show a sustained multinational effort covering professional skills, maritime awareness, law enforcement, counter-piracy, cyber resilience and operational planning. The programme also gave partner nations access to Indian training establishments, simulators and operational platforms, expanding practical cooperation.

Operation Compass Rose 26-1 was conducted virtually from 20 to 22 April 2026. The article states that the exercise was adapted to a fully virtual format because of the prevailing regional security environment. This allowed the participating nations to continue training without relying on a conventional shared physical venue.

The exercise still had significant international participation. It brought together 137 participants, 11 observers and 21 facilitators from 25 partner nations and 13 organisations. Its design preserved opportunities for multinational learning, discussion and operational coordination, even though the participants were not gathered in one location.

The main lesson was resilience. CMF partners could sustain cooperation and training under difficult regional conditions. The exercise demonstrated that multinational maritime coordination can use flexible formats when circumstances limit face-to-face activity. It also supported continuity in the wider CTF 154 programme, which focused on interoperability, professional development and shared responses to maritime security challenges.

Operation Southern Readiness 26-2 showed India's growing role as a provider of multinational maritime training. Held at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi from 20 to 23 July 2026, it was the first major Combined Maritime Forces training exercise hosted by India. Hosting it placed Indian facilities at the centre of a large international programme.

The exercise involved 276 personnel from 27 countries and generated about 3,800 training hours. Participants trained at the Indian Navy's specialist training establishments and gained exposure to advanced simulators and operational platforms. These facilities provided the practical setting and technical resources needed for complex, shared training.

The exercise also became CTF 154's largest Maritime Domain Enhancement Training engagement since the task force was established. That scale demonstrated India's established naval training infrastructure and its capacity to support partner nations. It strengthened India's practical contribution to regional maritime security by linking its facilities, personnel and expertise with a broad multinational network.

The supplied article does not explain India's relationship with the Combined Maritime Forces when India became an associate partner in 2022 or a full member in 2023. It therefore does not provide a documented timeline of those two milestones, nor does it describe what changed between them. Those details cannot be established from this source alone.

The article does provide a later, clearly stated milestone. India assumed command of CTF 154 on 11 February 2026. It became the first Indian Navy contingent to lead a CMF task force. During its eight-month tenure, it directed training, exercises and specialist exchanges involving many partner nations.

The reported 2026 activities show a substantial operational and training contribution. India led 20 Staff Enhancement Training engagements, two major exercises and SPAR 2026. It also hosted Southern Readiness in Kochi. Thus, the source supports India's growing leadership role, but not a full account of the 2022 and 2023 membership developments.

Maritime security is the cooperative effort to keep seas, ships and maritime activity safe from threats. These can include piracy, armed robbery, maritime crime, unlawful activity and cyberattacks affecting maritime systems. Such threats can cross borders, so one country may not be able to identify or address them alone.

The article shows how cooperation works in practice. CTF 154 training covered Maritime Domain Awareness, information sharing, counter-piracy, maritime crime investigation, cyber resilience and law enforcement. Partner nations also took part in multinational exercises and the first Subject Matter Expert Exchange on Piracy and Armed Robbery. These activities build shared knowledge and common working methods.

Joint training matters because personnel need to understand one another before responding to a real incident. Shared procedures can improve communication, planning and coordination. The article reports participation from 39 countries, showing the scale of this network. It does not describe a specific cyberattack or piracy response, but it identifies training and information exchange as tools for stronger maritime cooperation.