Combined Maritime Forces’ Combined Task Force 153 and the United States Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Stout (DDG 55) have remained ‘ready together’ as they safeguard maritime security in the Red Sea.

The guided-missile destroyer and its crew provided direct support to the Australian-led multinational task force during January and February, keeping watch for illicit activities including piracy, smuggling and narcotics trafficking.

While on patrol, crewmembers practiced skills needed to safely visit, board and search vessels, and to legally seize illicit materials being smuggled through the vital waterway.

The training came as CTF153 refocused on its core maritime security mission after responsibility for Operation Prosperity Guardian—the international response to attacks  on merchant shipping by Houthi terrorists—was transferred from CMF to U.S. Navy Destroyer Squadron 50 (DESRON 50).

Commander CTF 153, Royal Australian Navy Capt. Jorge McKee praised the Stout commanding officer and crew for the teamwork with his staff ashore.

“While our task force team ashore closely monitor the Red Sea for any activity requiring closer investigation by ships at sea, the crew of Stout are keeping their skills sharp and ready,” Captain McKee said. “It is an honor to work with USS Stout, as it is named in honor of U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Herald F. Stout, who served alongside Australians in the Second World War.”

Established in 2022, CTF 153 is one of five task forces under CMF. Its mission is to deter and impede illicit non-state actors in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab and Gulf of Aden.

CTF153’s area of responsibility includes some of the world’s most important shipping lanes, connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Indian Ocean and the greater Middle East region.

Combined Maritime Forces, a 46-nation naval partnership headquartered in Bahrain, is the world’s largest multinational naval partnership. It is committed to upholding the rules-based international order at sea, promoting security, stability and prosperity across approximately 3.2 million square miles of international waters, including crucial shipping lanes.