Repression of piracy in the area comprised by the Gulf of Aden and the coast of Somalia, in the Middle East, will be intensified with Focused Operations MARE LIBERUM II, which takes place from 23 to 29 October. The combined operation is planned and conducted by Combined Task Force 151 (CTF 151) which is currently commanded by the Brazilian Navy (MB). The objective is to intensify, for a limited period, the presence of naval and air assets and the exchange of information with maritime organizations from different countries to guarantee free navigation and the maintenance of maritime trade flow in the region.
The operation is one of the activities conducted by CTF 151, and Brazilian participation consists of planning and conducting the operation. In all, 12 Brazilian military personnel participate in Focused Operations MARE LIBERUM II, in addition to those from Canada; Djibouti; USA; Japan; Oman; Pakistan; UK; Republic of Korea; Seychelles; Turkey; and Yemen. In addition to these countries, the Maritime Operations Centers operating in the region are contributing to the operation, as well as TF 465, belonging to EUNAVFOR, the European Union Naval Force that also carries out military operations off the Horn of Africa and in the Western Indian Ocean.
According to the Commander of CTF 151, Rear Admiral Nelson de Oliveira Leite, despite the short duration of the operation, its effects are long-lasting and aim to discourage potential piracy initiatives, strengthen cooperation with various organizations operating in the region and intensify the collection of intelligence information that helps to identify local patterns of behavior.
“Our aim is to assure the maritime industry of the international community’s commitment to the repression of piracy, while warning it that, although suppressed, this threat is not eradicated, and the maintenance of good security practices is still fundamental, in addition to developing a proof of concept, integrating unmanned units into an operation against piracy”, highlights Admiral Nelson Leite.
The operation began to be planned in August this year. During these two months, internal General Staff and multilateral meetings were held, with the participation of members of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) and representatives of the participating countries. In addition, the CTF 151 Commander acted in support negotiation and leader engagement activities with regional navy commanders and heads of organizations.
