SINGAPORE TAKES OVER COMMAND OF MULTINATIONAL COUNTER-PIRACY TASK FORCE

SINGAPORE, April 1 (Bernama) -- Singapore has taken over command of the
Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, a multinational counter-piracy task force.

The change-of-command ceremony was held on board the Royal Navy frigate HMS
Cornwall, in Djibouti this morning, said the authority in a statement.

The ceremony was witnessed by Commander Combined Maritime Forces
Vice-Admiral (VADM) Mark Fox and attended by Singapore's Chief of Navy
Rear-Admiral
(RADM) Ng Chee Peng.

This is the second time Singapore has commanded CTF 151.

RADM Harris Chan from the Singapore Navy (RSN) will lead the CTF 151 command
team to coordinate counter-piracy operations by CTF 151 in deterring and
disrupting piracy in the Gulf of Aden (GoA) over the next three months.

The command team, comprising 25 SAF personnel, will operate from US Navy
destroyer USS Mason and will work closely with task forces from the North
Atlantic Treaty Organisation and the European Union, as well as with navies from
other countries assigned to protect national vessels operating in GoA.

Joining the SAF command team are five officers from Indonesia, New Zealand,
Republic of Korea and Saudi Arabia.

The Gulf of Aden remains a key sea lane that depends on international
cooperation to keep it safe for everyone’s use.

The Singapore Armed Forces has been deploying assets to the Gulf of Aden
since April 2009. It previously commanded CTF 151 from January to April
2010.

It will be deploying a Fokker-50 Maritime Patrol Aircraft to perform
maritime air surveillance in GoA from April to July 2011.