July 21, 2022

Task Force 150 Holds Change of Command

MANAMA, Bahrain — Pakistan turned over command of a multinational naval task force in the Middle East to Saudi Arabia during a morning ceremony at the U.S. Navy base in Manama, Bahrain, July 21. Royal Saudi Navy Commodore Abdullah Al-Mutairi assumed command of Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 from Pakistan Navy Commodore Vaqar Muhammad. Established in 2002, CTF 150 is one of four task forces under Combined Maritime Forces, the largest international naval partnership in the world.

July 21, 2022

U.S. Navy Ships Assist Stranded Mariners in Gulf of Aden

MANAMA, Bahrain — Two U.S. Navy ships provided emergency assistance to a stranded motor vessel in the Gulf of Aden, July 18-21.

July 18, 2022

USAFE F-15Es arrive in AFCENT for cross-combatant command ACE training

SOUTHWEST ASIA — Two U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles, originating out of Souda Bay, Greece, arrived in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility through an effort to exercise cross-combatant command Agile Combat Employment operations July 15, 2022.

July 14, 2022

DOD to Fund Better Detention Facilities in Syria, But Best Solution is Detainee Repatriation 

The Defense Department is working on three lines of effort to help support the humane and secure detention of ISIS fighters in custody, while assisting with repatriation efforts.

July 7, 2022

U.S. Navy Supports UK Seizure of Iranian Missiles

U.S. Navy Supports UK Seizure of Iranian Missiles — A U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer supported maritime operations conducted by naval forces from the United Kingdom that resulted in the seizure of advanced weapons components during an interdiction in the Gulf of Oman.

July 6, 2022

U.S. Airmen partner with Bahraini Air Force in first-of-its kind C-130 event

BAHRAIN — (Ninth Air Force) Air Forces Central recently partnered with the Royal Bahraini Air Force for a C-130J Hercules subject matter expert exchange focused on forging relationships needed to provide the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility with trained and ready forces, June 14-16. 386th Air Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Airmen and 41st Expeditionary Airlift Squadron aircrews participated in the event with RBAF counterparts where they exchanged best practices for operating and maintaining the C-130J.

June 29, 2022

CENTCOM leaders visit Tel Aviv, focus on regional partnerships

TEL AVIV, Israel — Senior U.S. Central Command leaders and staff visited their Israel Defense Forces counterparts in Tel Aviv last week to reflect on their decades-long partnership and explore ways to deepen security relationships across the Middle East. The three-day exchange – a series of meetings to discuss issues such as exercises, defense agreements and shared

June 25, 2022

USS Sioux City Arrives in Bahrain during Historic Deployment

MANAMA, Bahrain — USS Sioux City (LCS 11) arrived to Bahrain for a scheduled port visit, June 25, marking the completion of a 10,000-mile journey while becoming the first littoral combat ship to operate in the Middle East.

June 21, 2022

Unsafe, Unprofessional Action by IRGCN Vessels toward U.S. Naval Forces in Arabian Gulf

MANAMA, Bahrain — Three vessels from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) interacted in an unsafe and unprofessional manner as U.S. Navy ships transited the Strait of Hormuz, June 20.

June 13, 2022

U.S., UAE Forces Begin Maritime Exercise in Arabian Gulf

MANAMA, Bahrain — Naval forces from the United Arab Emirates and United States began a 10-day maritime exercise, June 13, in the Arabian Gulf.