CTF153 and USS Stout Join Forces for Enhanced Red Sea Maritime Security

The USS Stout destroyer and its crew have played a pivotal role in a mission led by an Australian multinational task force. Throughout January and February, they focused on curbing illicit activities such as piracy, smuggling, and narcotics trafficking in key waterways.

The crew of the USS Stout sharpened essential skills, including visiting, boarding, and searching vessels to seize illegal materials. This mission aligns with CTF153’s shift back to its core task of maritime security, following the transfer of Operation Prosperity Guardian to U.S. Navy Destroyer Squadron 50 (DESRON 50).

Royal Australian Navy Captain Jorge McKee, Commander of CTF 153, commended the Stout’s crew and their collaboration with his team. “Our task force ashore monitors the Red Sea closely, and the Stout crew remains vigilant,” he stated, adding that the destroyer is named in honor of Rear Adm. Herald F. Stout, a World War II hero who served with Australians.

CTF 153, established in 2022, operates under the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) and aims to deter non-state threats in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab, and Gulf of Aden. This region includes crucial shipping lanes connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Indian Ocean.

Headquartered in Bahrain, the Combined Maritime Forces is the world’s largest multinational naval partnership, encompassing 46 nations. It is committed to promoting security and stability across 3.2 million square miles of international waters.