Indian Navy Leads 7,800 Hours of Maritime Security Training Across 39 Countries.
Indian Navy Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) ceremony in Manama, Bahrein.
Indian Navy Combined Maritime Forces: The Indian Navy has completed its first-ever command of a task force under the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), a multinational maritime security partnership based in Bahrain. The eight-month assignment concluded on 14 October 2026, marking a new stage in India’s participation in international maritime training, cooperation and capacity building.
During its tenure leading Combined Task Force 154 (CTF 154), the Indian Navy organised 20 staff training engagements, two major multinational exercises and the first Subject Matter Expert Exchange on Piracy and Armed Robbery, known as SPAR 2026. Collectively, these activities generated more than 7,800 training hours, with personnel from 39 countries participating in the task force’s programmes.
The command was formally handed over at a ceremony in Manama, Bahrain, where Commodore Milind M Mokashi relinquished responsibility to Commander Melissa Desjardins, Deputy Commander of CTF 154, who received command on behalf of CMF Headquarters.
The completion of the assignment highlights India’s growing involvement in multinational maritime security initiatives. It also demonstrates how the Indian Navy is using training, operational coordination and professional exchanges to strengthen cooperation among countries facing shared maritime challenges.
What is the Combined Maritime Forces?
The Combined Maritime Forces is a multinational maritime partnership that brings together participating countries to support maritime security and cooperation across strategically important waterways.
Headquartered in Bahrain, the organisation provides a framework through which member countries can coordinate activities, exchange information and work together on maritime security challenges.
These challenges include piracy, armed robbery at sea, maritime crime and other threats that can affect commercial shipping, regional stability and the safety of maritime operations.
The partnership operates through different task forces, each with a defined area of responsibility or operational focus. These structures allow participating nations to contribute personnel, expertise and resources according to their capabilities and agreed objectives.
India joined the CMF as an associate partner in 2022 before becoming a full member in 2023. Its subsequent assumption of command of CTF 154 represented a further step in its engagement with the organisation.
The Indian Navy’s first command of a CMF task force was significant because it placed Indian personnel in a leadership role within a multinational framework, requiring coordination with partner navies, maritime agencies and specialist institutions.
What is Combined Task Force 154?
Established in May 2023, CTF 154 is the CMF’s dedicated multinational maritime training task force.
Unlike formations primarily focused on conducting operational patrols, its central purpose is to improve the professional skills, interoperability and capabilities of participating countries through structured training.
Interoperability refers to the ability of different military forces and agencies to work together effectively. This can involve using compatible procedures, communicating clearly, sharing information and coordinating decisions during joint activities.
Such cooperation is important because maritime security incidents rarely respect national boundaries. A piracy incident, suspicious vessel or maritime crime investigation may require information and action from several countries.
Training together can help participating personnel understand one another’s procedures and develop the professional relationships needed to respond more effectively.
During India’s command, CTF 154 conducted 20 Staff Enhancement Training engagements covering subjects ranging from maritime law enforcement and counter-piracy to cyber resilience, emerging technologies and multinational operational planning.
The programme drew on expertise from the Indian Navy, other CMF task forces, partner nations, regional maritime agencies and specialist institutions.
It also included the first dedicated Training of Trainers engagement within the CMF training framework, intended to strengthen the ability to deliver maritime training in the future.
Another notable development was CMF’s first professional engagement with a judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, bringing a specialist legal perspective into the training programme.
Indian Navy Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) ceremony in Manama, Bahrein.
How India organised training across 39 countries
The scale of participation was a major feature of the Indian Navy-led tenure.
According to the Navy, CTF 154 activities generated more than 7,800 training hours, with personnel from 39 countries taking part. The Staff Enhancement Training engagements and SPAR activities together recorded more than 1,100 participant attendances.
These figures reflect different aspects of the programme. The number of participating countries indicates its international reach, while training hours measure the volume of instruction and exercises delivered. Participant attendances represent involvement in particular engagements rather than necessarily counting unique individuals across the entire programme.
The training addressed a broad range of practical challenges. Maritime Domain Awareness, for example, involves building an understanding of activity at sea by combining information from different sources.
Information sharing helps participating countries exchange relevant details about vessels, incidents and potential threats. Maritime law enforcement and crime investigation training can support more consistent approaches to responding to illegal activity.
Counter-piracy training focuses on improving preparedness for threats to vessels and crews, while cyber resilience addresses risks to digital systems and information networks.
Leadership, personnel resilience and multinational planning also formed part of the programme, reflecting the importance of decision-making and coordination alongside technical skills.
By combining these subjects, the task force sought to develop capabilities that countries could apply within their own maritime security systems as well as during multinational operations.
Operation Compass Rose 26-1: Training despite regional constraints
One of the major activities during India’s command was Operation Compass Rose 26-1, held from 20 to 22 April 2026.
The exercise was adapted to a fully virtual format because of the prevailing regional security environment. It brought together 137 participants, 11 observers and 21 facilitators from 25 partner nations and 13 organisations.
Moving the exercise online demonstrated how multinational training could continue despite constraints affecting in-person activities.
Virtual exercises can allow participants in different countries to work through scenarios, discuss decisions and practise coordination without the travel and logistical requirements of a physical gathering.
However, they do not fully replace practical activities that require personnel to operate equipment, communicate in demanding conditions or work together at sea.
The exercise’s importance lay in maintaining cooperation and professional engagement while adapting the format to the circumstances.
For a multinational task force, the ability to sustain training despite regional disruption can help preserve working relationships and maintain readiness for future joint activities.
Operation Southern Readiness: India’s first major CMF exercise
A second major milestone was Operation Southern Readiness 26-2, conducted at the Indian Navy’s Southern Naval Command in Kochi from 20 to 23 July 2026.
The exercise was the first major CMF training event hosted by India and attracted 276 personnel from 27 countries. It generated approximately 3,800 training hours, making it the largest Maritime Domain Enhancement Training engagement conducted by CTF 154 since the task force was established.
Participants trained at specialist naval establishments and gained exposure to India’s training infrastructure, including advanced simulators and operational platforms.
Simulators can provide a controlled environment in which personnel practise procedures, respond to simulated incidents and improve decision-making without having to recreate every scenario at sea.
Hosting the exercise also allowed India to demonstrate its ability to support multinational training requirements. The country’s naval training facilities provided a setting for participating nations to exchange experience and practise alongside personnel from other maritime forces.
The event was therefore significant both as a training activity and as an opportunity to expand India’s role as a host for international maritime cooperation.
Indian Navy Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) ceremony in Manama, Bahrein.
SPAR 2026: Tackling piracy and armed robbery at sea
The final major training engagement of the Indian Navy‘s command was the inaugural Subject Matter Expert Exchange on Piracy and Armed Robbery, held on 5 and 6 October 2026.
SPAR 2026 brought together 135 participants, including facilitators, from 25 countries. Nineteen organisations and specialist teams contributed to the discussions.
The event created a common platform for operational counter-piracy forces, maritime law enforcement agencies, information-sharing organisations, legal specialists, technology providers and representatives of the maritime industry.
Piracy and armed robbery at sea remain important maritime security concerns because attacks can endanger crews, disrupt shipping and impose additional costs on commercial operators.
Responding to such incidents may require cooperation between naval forces, police and law enforcement agencies, legal authorities and shipping companies. Information must be shared, incidents investigated and relevant legal procedures followed.
SPAR 2026 provided an opportunity for these different groups to discuss evolving threats, exchange professional knowledge and examine contemporary challenges.
The participation of legal and technical specialists was particularly relevant because effective maritime security requires more than the ability to intercept a suspicious vessel. Authorities must also be able to investigate incidents, preserve evidence and act within applicable legal frameworks.
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What does the command mean for India’s maritime role?
India’s completion of its first command of a CMF task force represents a progression from participation in the partnership to leadership of one of its training formations.
During the assignment, the Indian Navy also engaged with regional partners and specialist institutions through activities such as the Fifth Regional Maritime Law Enforcement Dialogue in Nairobi and interactions with the Royal Bahrain Naval Force.
These engagements provided opportunities to discuss maritime law enforcement, emerging training requirements and potential areas for future cooperation.
The experience gained from coordinating programmes involving numerous countries and organisations could also support the Navy’s own approach to multinational training and operational planning.
However, the command should be understood primarily in terms of training and capacity building. CTF 154’s mandate differs from that of task forces focused on specific operational maritime security missions.
Its contribution lies in helping partner countries develop the skills, relationships and procedures needed to work together when maritime challenges arise.
The handover on 14 October brought the Indian Navy’s eight-month command of CTF 154 to a formal close. The task force’s ongoing work will continue under its next leadership within the CMF framework.
For India, the assignment has provided experience in leading multinational training activities, hosting international exercises and coordinating expertise from military, legal, technical and maritime organisations.
The programme’s reported reach—more than 7,800 training hours and participation from 39 countries—illustrates the scale of the effort undertaken during the tenure.
Its longer-term impact will depend on whether the training strengthens practical cooperation, improves information sharing and helps participating countries respond more effectively to maritime security challenges.
The completion of the command reinforces India’s continuing engagement with the Combined Maritime Forces and its stated aim of supporting a secure, stable and rules-based maritime environment.
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