U.S. Naval Forces Central Command
Encyclopedia
United States Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) is the United States Navy
element of United States Central Command
(USCENTCOM). Its area of responsibility includes the Red Sea
, Gulf of Oman
, Persian Gulf
, and Arabian Sea
. It consists of the United States Fifth Fleet and several other subordinate task forces, including Combined Task Force 150
, Combined Task Force 158
and others.
The command was established on 1 January 1983 along with the rest of U.S. Central Command, and command of NAVCENT was initially given to a flag officer
selectee based at Pearl Harbor
and tasked with coordinating administrative and logistical support for U.S. naval forces in the Persian Gulf
. An actual flag officer deployed to the region known as Commander, Middle East Force (COMMIDEASTFOR), retained operational control of U.S. naval forces in the Persian Gulf and effectively served as USCENTCOM's de facto naval component commander.
The Navy's post-World War II
operations in the Persian Gulf
began in 1948 when a series of U.S. task groups, led by the , the , and Task Force 128 led by the visited the Persian Gulf. On 20 January 1948, Commander-in-Chief, Northeastern Atlantic and Mediterranean
, Admiral Conolly, created Task Force 126 to supervise the large number of Navy fleet oilers and chartered tankers picking up oil in the Persian Gulf. By June 1949, the Task Force had become Persian Gulf Forces and on 16 August 1949 Persian Gulf Forces became Middle East Force.
In October 1948, Hydrographic Survey Group 1 arrived to help map the Persian Gulf's waters. Consisting of , , USS John Blish, and USS Littlehales, the Group remained in the Persian Gulf until April 1949, but their efforts were limited by weather, logistics support and upkeep.
In 1971, when Bahrain achieved full independence, the U.S. Navy leased part of the former British base HMS Juffair, originally established in 1935. It was renamed it Administrative Support Unit, Bahrain. The name was changed to Naval Support Activity, Bahrain in 1999, to reflect its broader support role.
Following the initial establishment of U.S. Central Command, the boundary between USCENTCOM and U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM) was the Strait of Hormuz
. To direct forces of multiple services operating over the boundary, Joint Task Force Middle East was established on 20 September 1987. It was soon obvious that JTF-ME and the Middle East Force were directing much the same operations, and a single dual-hatted naval commander was appointed by February 1988. U.S. Naval Forces Central Command took part in Operation Earnest Will
in 1986-1987 and supported Army special operations helicopters conducting Operation Prime Chance
. Operation Praying Mantis
followed later.
Prior to the first Gulf War
in 1990-1991, U.S. naval operations in the Persian Gulf region continued to be directed by the two star Rear Admiral who was Commander, Middle Eastern Force (COMMIDEASTFOR). Since this organization was considered insufficiently equipped to manage large scale combat operations during the Gulf War, the three star Vice Admiral who was Commander, U.S. Seventh Fleet (COMSEVENTHFLT), a U.S. Pacific Fleet organization normally based in Japan, was given the temporary task of managing the naval forces during the period, reporting to the Commander of USCENTCOM, who acted as the Combined Force Commander during the first Gulf War.
From 1 Januaruy 1991, the six carriers deployed were divided into Battle Force Yankee (two carriers, including Saratoga, in the Red Sea under Rear Admiral Riley Mixson) and Task Force 154, Battle Force Zulu (four carriers in the AS/PG under Rear Admiral Daniel March). TF 150 was Vice Admiral Henry H. Mauz, Jr.
himself, TF 151 the Middle East Force, TG 150.3 Naval Logistics Suppoert Force (Rear Admiral Bob Sutton), and TF 156 the amphibious force.
Although COMSEVENTHFLT held command responsibility during this period, no numbered fleet existed permanently within the USCENTCOM area of responsibility (AOR) during the first Gulf War and for the next four years thereafter. By July 1995, a new numbered fleet was deemed necessary by the senior U.S. Navy leadership, and after a 48-year hiatus, the U.S. Fifth Fleet was reactivated, replacing COMMIDEASTFOR. Dual-hatted as COMUSNAVCENT as the naval component command of USCENTCOM, the same Vice Admiral (and his staff) as Commander, U.S. Fifth Fleet (COMFIFTHFLT) now directs naval operations in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, and the Arabian Sea. The combined COMUSNAVCENT/COMFIFTHFLT headquarters is located at NSA Bahrain
in Manama, Bahrain. The command oversees both afloat and shore-based units that rotationally deploy or surge from the United States, plus a few smaller surface ships that are based in the Gulf for longer periods. Ships rotationally deploy to the U.S. Fifth Fleet from the Pacific and Atlantic Fleets.
In February 2002 the Combined Maritime Forces was also established as an embedded activity with COMUSNAVCENT/COMFIFTHFLT to provide coordinated Coalition operations in the area of operations. It is an international naval partnership that provides security for civilian maritime traffic by conducting counter-piracy
and counter-terrorism
missions in the heavily-trafficked waters of the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, including the Red Sea
, the Persian Gulf
, the Gulf of Aden
, Arabian Sea
and the wider Indian Ocean
.
CMF is commanded by the U.S. Navy Vice Admiral
who is also the Commander NAVCENT and the United States Fifth Fleet. CMF's Deputy Commander is a UK Royal Navy
Commodore
. CMF Headquarters are located with the US Naval Central Command at Naval Support Activity Bahrain
.
The present commander of CMF is Vice Admiral Mark I. Fox
, USN. Current Deputy Commander is Commodore Tim Fraser, Royal Navy.
CMF's personnel and ships are drawn from 25 nations and are organized into three principle task forces:
After the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, Commander, Task Force 150, previously a single-nation U.S. formation, was made into a multinational effort as Combined Task Force 150 and was given a renewed focus on maritime security and counter-terrorism. It was established on February 3, 2002, by Vice Admiral Charles W. Moore. Over time, it became increasingly involved in combating the rising incidence of piracy in Somalia
.
Combined Task Force 151 was established in January 2009 by Vice Admiral William E. Gortney specifically to address counter-piracy operations.
Operating alongside CTF 151 and Operation Ocean Shield
are other national deployments such as the People's Liberation Army Navy
, most recently with CTF 526 aboard the Type 054 frigate Wenzhou.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
element of United States Central Command
United States Central Command
The United States Central Command is a theater-level Unified Combatant Command unit of the U.S. armed forces, established in 1983 under the operational control of the U.S. Secretary of Defense...
(USCENTCOM). Its area of responsibility includes the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
, Gulf of Oman
Gulf of Oman
The Gulf of Oman or Sea of Oman is a strait that connects the Arabian Sea with the Strait of Hormuz, which then runs to the Persian Gulf. It is generally included as a branch of the Persian Gulf, not as an arm of the Arabian Sea. On the north coast is Pakistan and Iran...
, Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
, and Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
. It consists of the United States Fifth Fleet and several other subordinate task forces, including Combined Task Force 150
Combined Task Force 150
Combined Task Force 150 is a multinational coalition naval task force working under the 25 nation coalition of Combined Maritime Forces and is based in Bahrain established to monitor, inspect, board, and stop suspect shipping to pursue the "War on Terrorism" and in the Horn of Africa region ...
, Combined Task Force 158
Combined Task Force 158
Combined Task Force Iraqi Maritime or CTF IM is an international naval task group, established as a result of Operation Iraqi Freedom. It consists of naval assets from the United States Navy and Coast Guard, the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Navy, working alongside elements of the Iraqi...
and others.
The command was established on 1 January 1983 along with the rest of U.S. Central Command, and command of NAVCENT was initially given to a flag officer
Flag Officer
A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark where the officer exercises command. The term usually refers to the senior officers in an English-speaking nation's navy, specifically those who hold any of the admiral ranks; in...
selectee based at Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
and tasked with coordinating administrative and logistical support for U.S. naval forces in the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
. An actual flag officer deployed to the region known as Commander, Middle East Force (COMMIDEASTFOR), retained operational control of U.S. naval forces in the Persian Gulf and effectively served as USCENTCOM's de facto naval component commander.
The Navy's post-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
operations in the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
began in 1948 when a series of U.S. task groups, led by the , the , and Task Force 128 led by the visited the Persian Gulf. On 20 January 1948, Commander-in-Chief, Northeastern Atlantic and Mediterranean
United States Naval Forces Europe
United States Naval Forces Europe is the United States Navy component of the United States European Command and provides forces for United States African Command....
, Admiral Conolly, created Task Force 126 to supervise the large number of Navy fleet oilers and chartered tankers picking up oil in the Persian Gulf. By June 1949, the Task Force had become Persian Gulf Forces and on 16 August 1949 Persian Gulf Forces became Middle East Force.
In October 1948, Hydrographic Survey Group 1 arrived to help map the Persian Gulf's waters. Consisting of , , USS John Blish, and USS Littlehales, the Group remained in the Persian Gulf until April 1949, but their efforts were limited by weather, logistics support and upkeep.
In 1971, when Bahrain achieved full independence, the U.S. Navy leased part of the former British base HMS Juffair, originally established in 1935. It was renamed it Administrative Support Unit, Bahrain. The name was changed to Naval Support Activity, Bahrain in 1999, to reflect its broader support role.
Following the initial establishment of U.S. Central Command, the boundary between USCENTCOM and U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM) was the Strait of Hormuz
Strait of Hormuz
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow, strategically important waterway between the Gulf of Oman in the southeast and the Persian Gulf. On the north coast is Iran and on the south coast is the United Arab Emirates and Musandam, an exclave of Oman....
. To direct forces of multiple services operating over the boundary, Joint Task Force Middle East was established on 20 September 1987. It was soon obvious that JTF-ME and the Middle East Force were directing much the same operations, and a single dual-hatted naval commander was appointed by February 1988. U.S. Naval Forces Central Command took part in Operation Earnest Will
Operation Earnest Will
Operation Earnest Will was the U.S. military protection of Kuwaiti owned tankers from Iranian attacks in 1987 and 1988, three years into the Tanker War phase of the Iran–Iraq War. It was the largest naval convoy operation since World War II.The U.S. Navy warships that escorted the tankers, part of...
in 1986-1987 and supported Army special operations helicopters conducting Operation Prime Chance
Operation Prime Chance
Operation Prime Chance was a United States Special Operations Command operation intended to protect U.S.-flagged oil tankers from Iranian attack during the Iran–Iraq War. The operation took place roughly at the same time as Operation Earnest Will , the largely Navy effort to escort the tankers...
. Operation Praying Mantis
Operation Praying Mantis
Operation Praying Mantis was an attack on April 18, 1988, by U.S. naval forces within Iranian territorial waters in retaliation for the Iranian mining of the Persian Gulf during the Iran Iraq war and the subsequent damage to an American warship....
followed later.
Prior to the first Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
in 1990-1991, U.S. naval operations in the Persian Gulf region continued to be directed by the two star Rear Admiral who was Commander, Middle Eastern Force (COMMIDEASTFOR). Since this organization was considered insufficiently equipped to manage large scale combat operations during the Gulf War, the three star Vice Admiral who was Commander, U.S. Seventh Fleet (COMSEVENTHFLT), a U.S. Pacific Fleet organization normally based in Japan, was given the temporary task of managing the naval forces during the period, reporting to the Commander of USCENTCOM, who acted as the Combined Force Commander during the first Gulf War.
From 1 Januaruy 1991, the six carriers deployed were divided into Battle Force Yankee (two carriers, including Saratoga, in the Red Sea under Rear Admiral Riley Mixson) and Task Force 154, Battle Force Zulu (four carriers in the AS/PG under Rear Admiral Daniel March). TF 150 was Vice Admiral Henry H. Mauz, Jr.
Henry H. Mauz, Jr.
Henry H. Mauz, Jr. is a retired United States Navy admiral and the former Commander in Chief, United States Atlantic Fleet from 1992 to 1994.-Military career:...
himself, TF 151 the Middle East Force, TG 150.3 Naval Logistics Suppoert Force (Rear Admiral Bob Sutton), and TF 156 the amphibious force.
Although COMSEVENTHFLT held command responsibility during this period, no numbered fleet existed permanently within the USCENTCOM area of responsibility (AOR) during the first Gulf War and for the next four years thereafter. By July 1995, a new numbered fleet was deemed necessary by the senior U.S. Navy leadership, and after a 48-year hiatus, the U.S. Fifth Fleet was reactivated, replacing COMMIDEASTFOR. Dual-hatted as COMUSNAVCENT as the naval component command of USCENTCOM, the same Vice Admiral (and his staff) as Commander, U.S. Fifth Fleet (COMFIFTHFLT) now directs naval operations in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, and the Arabian Sea. The combined COMUSNAVCENT/COMFIFTHFLT headquarters is located at NSA Bahrain
Naval Support Activity Bahrain
Naval Support Activity Bahrain is a United States Navy base, situated in the Kingdom of Bahrain and is home to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and United States Fifth Fleet. It is the primary base in the region for the naval and marine activities in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and...
in Manama, Bahrain. The command oversees both afloat and shore-based units that rotationally deploy or surge from the United States, plus a few smaller surface ships that are based in the Gulf for longer periods. Ships rotationally deploy to the U.S. Fifth Fleet from the Pacific and Atlantic Fleets.
Combined Maritime Forces
 Australia  Bahrain  Belgium  Canada  Denmark  Early Modern France  Germany  Greece  Italy  Japan  Jordan  South Korea  Kuwait  Netherlands  New Zealand  Pakistan  Portugal  Saudi Arabia  Singapore  Spain  Thailand  Turkey  United Arab Emirates  United States |
In February 2002 the Combined Maritime Forces was also established as an embedded activity with COMUSNAVCENT/COMFIFTHFLT to provide coordinated Coalition operations in the area of operations. It is an international naval partnership that provides security for civilian maritime traffic by conducting counter-piracy
Piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the perpetrator...
and counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt to prevent or in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.The tactic of terrorism is available to insurgents and governments...
missions in the heavily-trafficked waters of the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, including the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
, the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
, the Gulf of Aden
Gulf of Aden
The Gulf of Aden is located in the Arabian Sea between Yemen, on the south coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and Somalia in the Horn of Africa. In the northwest, it connects with the Red Sea through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, which is about 20 miles wide....
, Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
and the wider Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
.
CMF is commanded by the U.S. Navy Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
who is also the Commander NAVCENT and the United States Fifth Fleet. CMF's Deputy Commander is a UK Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
Commodore
Commodore (Royal Navy)
Commodore is a rank of the Royal Navy above Captain and below Rear Admiral. It has a NATO ranking code of OF-6. The rank is equivalent to Brigadier in the British Army and Royal Marines and to Air Commodore in the Royal Air Force.-Insignia:...
. CMF Headquarters are located with the US Naval Central Command at Naval Support Activity Bahrain
Naval Support Activity Bahrain
Naval Support Activity Bahrain is a United States Navy base, situated in the Kingdom of Bahrain and is home to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and United States Fifth Fleet. It is the primary base in the region for the naval and marine activities in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and...
.
The present commander of CMF is Vice Admiral Mark I. Fox
Mark I. Fox
Vice Admiral Mark I. Fox, USN is a United States Navy officer currently serving as the Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and Commander, U.S. 5th Fleet . Prior to assuming command as COMUSNAVCENT and COMFIFTHFLT, he was the Commander of the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center at NAS...
, USN. Current Deputy Commander is Commodore Tim Fraser, Royal Navy.
CMF's personnel and ships are drawn from 25 nations and are organized into three principle task forces:
- Combined Task Force 150Combined Task Force 150Combined Task Force 150 is a multinational coalition naval task force working under the 25 nation coalition of Combined Maritime Forces and is based in Bahrain established to monitor, inspect, board, and stop suspect shipping to pursue the "War on Terrorism" and in the Horn of Africa region ...
(CTF-150) - Maritime Security & Counter-terrorism - Combined Task Force 151Combined Task Force 151Combined Task Force 151 or CTF-151 or Combined Task Force One Five One is an international naval task force, set up in response to piracy attacks in shipping lanes off the coast of Somalia...
(CTF-151) - Counter-piracy - Combined Task Force 152 (CTF-152) - Arabian Gulf Security Cooperation
After the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, Commander, Task Force 150, previously a single-nation U.S. formation, was made into a multinational effort as Combined Task Force 150 and was given a renewed focus on maritime security and counter-terrorism. It was established on February 3, 2002, by Vice Admiral Charles W. Moore. Over time, it became increasingly involved in combating the rising incidence of piracy in Somalia
Piracy in Somalia
Piracy off the coast of Somalia has been a threat to international shipping since the second phase of the Somali Civil War in the early 21st century...
.
Combined Task Force 151 was established in January 2009 by Vice Admiral William E. Gortney specifically to address counter-piracy operations.
Operating alongside CTF 151 and Operation Ocean Shield
Operation Ocean Shield
Operation Ocean Shield is NATO's contribution to the anti-piracy campaign off the Horn of Africa, following the earlier Operation Allied Protector. Naval operations began on 17 August 2009 after being approved by the North Atlantic Council and involves warships primarily from the United States...
are other national deployments such as the People's Liberation Army Navy
People's Liberation Army Navy
The People's Liberation Army Navy is the naval branch of the People's Liberation Army , the military of the People's Republic of China. Until the early 1990s, the navy performed a subordinate role to the PLA Land Forces. Since then, it has undergone rapid modernisation...
, most recently with CTF 526 aboard the Type 054 frigate Wenzhou.
Further reading
- W. Seth Carus, Barry McCoy, and John R. Hafey, From MIDEASTFOR to Fifth Fleet: Forward Naval Presence in Southwest Asia, Alexandria, VA, Center for Naval Analyses, 1995