The Indian Navy successfully completed its maiden command of Combined Task Force 154 (CTF 154), a multinational maritime training force under the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), with a formal relinquishment ceremony held in Manama, Bahrain on October 14, 2026. The eight-month command tenure, which began on February 11, 2026, marked India's first leadership of a CMF Task Force and represented a significant milestone in the country's contribution to multinational maritime training, capacity building, and collaborative maritime security initiatives.
During its command, the Indian Navy-led CTF 154 conducted extensive training activities including 20 Staff Enhancement Training engagements, two major multinational training exercises, and the inaugural Subject Matter Expert Exchange on Piracy and Armed Robbery (SPAR 2026). These initiatives collectively generated over 7,800 training hours with participation from personnel representing 39 countries. The Staff Enhancement Training and SPAR engagements alone recorded over 1,100 participant attendances, demonstrating the substantial scale of the training programs.
Operation Compass Rose 26-1, conducted from April 20-22, 2026, was adapted to a fully virtual format due to regional security constraints and brought together 137 participants, 11 observers, and 21 facilitators from 25 Partner Nations and 13 organizations. Operation Southern Readiness 26-2, conducted at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi from July 20-23, 2026, marked the first major CMF training exercise hosted by India and represented the largest Maritime Domain Enhancement Training engagement undertaken by CTF 154 since its establishment in May 2023. This exercise involved 276 personnel from 27 countries and generated approximately 3,800 training hours, providing participants access to the Indian Navy's specialist training establishments, advanced simulators, and operational platforms.
The training engagements covered a broad spectrum of contemporary maritime security challenges including Maritime Domain Awareness, Maritime Law and Law Enforcement, Information Sharing, Counter-Piracy, Maritime Crime Investigation, Cyber Resilience, Emerging Technologies, Multinational Operational Planning, Leadership, and Personnel Resilience. The tenure also included the first dedicated 'Training of Trainers' engagement within the CMF framework and CMF's first professional engagement with a Judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.
SPAR 2026, conducted on October 5-6, 2026, brought together 135 participants from 25 countries with contributions from 19 organizations and specialist teams, creating a platform for operational counter-piracy forces, maritime law enforcement agencies, information sharing organizations, legal specialists, technology providers, and the maritime industry to address evolving piracy threats. CTF 154 also expanded regional engagements through participation in the Fifth Regional Maritime Law Enforcement Dialogue in Nairobi and interactions with the Royal Bahrain Naval Force.
India joined the Combined Maritime Forces as an Associate Partner in 2022 and became a full member in 2023. The successful command tenure demonstrates the Indian Navy's capability to plan, coordinate, and deliver multinational training initiatives, positioning India as a Preferred Security and Training Partner committed to strengthening maritime capacities and promoting a secure, stable, and rules-based maritime environment.