Combined Task Force 152 Conducts Exercise in Arabian Gulf with Unmanned Vessel

From NAVCENT Public Affairs

A Bahrain-led multinational task force from Combined Maritime Forces practiced vessel boarding procedures during exercise Falcon Warrior, Jan. 24-25, while operating with an unmanned system in the Arabian Gulf.

Ships and boats from Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia sailed simultaneously in regional waters while operating with a MARTAC T-38 Devil Ray unmanned surface vessel from U.S. 5th Fleet’s Task Force 59. The exercise was led by Combined Task Force (CTF) 152.

“We appreciate the great opportunity provided by exercise Falcon Warrior for crewed and uncrewed teams to work together to provide safety, security, and stability in the maritime environment within the Arabian Gulf,” said Royal Bahrain Naval Force Capt. Rashed Al-Ameen, commander of CTF 152.

Participating forces met ashore Jan.

From

23 at the U.S. Navy base in Bahrain, where CTF 152 is headquartered. CTF 152 personnel received briefings on Task Force 59’s unmanned systems and artificial intelligence platforms during a daylong tour.

While operating at sea the following two days, maritime units rehearsed vessel boarding and search procedures to enhance partner collaboration and interoperability.

“The opportunity for the boarding teams to work together and share skills was invaluable,” said Royal Australian Navy Cmdr. Matthew Ryall, the operations director for Combined Maritime Forces. Established in 2004, CTF 152 is one of four task forces under the Combined Maritime Forces, the largest international naval partnership in the world, consisting of 38 member-nations and partners. CTF 152 operates inside the Arabian Gulf to ensure maritime security and promote regional maritime cooperation.

The U.S. military today began collecting the remnants of a Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon shot down by an Air Force fighter over the weekend.

Air Force Gen. Glen D. VanHerck, commander of the North American

Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, said the recovery effort began about 10 a.m. Rough seas thwarted safe, comprehensive debris collection yesterday, he said.

On Saturday, an F-22 Raptor fighter from the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, fired one AIM-9X

Sidewinder missile at the balloon, which had floated southeastward across the United States.

It fell about six miles off the coast of South Carolina into about 50 feet of water. No one was hurt.

Precautions are being taken during the salvage operation in case explosives or toxic substances are present, VanHerck said.

Due to changing ocean currents, it's possible that some debris could escape notice and wash ashore. VanHerck said members of the public can be assist by informing local law enforcement personnel if they spot remnants of the balloon; they should not collect it themselves.

The USS Carter Hall, an amphibious landing ship, is collecting debris in the vicinity of the splashdown, he said.

The USNS Pathfinder, a survey ship, is mapping the ocean floor using sonar for the debris search, VanHerck said.

Explosive ordnance members and at least one unmanned underwater vehicle are also participating, he said.

In addition, VanHerck said the Coast Guard cutters Venturous, Richard Snyder and Nathan B. Bruckenthal, along with Coast Guard aviation support, are keeping the area safe for military personnel and the general public.

The FBI and Naval Criminal Investigative Service agents are embedded with salvage operations personnel to assist in counterintelligence work, he added.

VanHerck mentioned that the Federal Aviation Administration was helpful in closing air space when the balloon was being shot down.

It's truly been an interagency team effort, VanHerck noted.

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