• CTF 154 is also supported by Canada, Egypt, Jordan, and Seychelles
• Experience will benefit Sri Lanka and SLN: Commodore Hewa Bettage 

The security and order of the Indian Ocean is vital for Sri Lankan national interest as an island nation dependent on maritime trade and commerce. Having faced and defeated armed insurgency and terrorism at sea for nearly three decades, the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) ranks as a world leader in countering armed non-state actors in the maritime domain.

Earlier this year, the SLN was afforded the opportunity to put that experience and institutional memory to use for the benefit of the world when it was entrusted with the command of Combined Task Force (CTF) 154 – one of five task forces operated by the US-led Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), a 46-nation, multinational maritime partnership aimed at keeping safe international waters and some of the world’s most important shipping lanes in the Western Indian Ocean. 

The SLN commands CTF 154 and is supported by the navies of Canada, United States, Egypt, Jordan, and Seychelles in carrying out its duties. Sri Lanka’s leadership of the CTF is a recognition of the island’s commitment to and history in relation to the enforcement of law and order at sea and the maintenance of maritime security.

In an exclusive interview with The Sunday Morning, CTF 154 Commander Commodore Manjula Hewa Bettage described the mission the SLN has been tasked with and how it benefited Sri Lanka and the region.

Following are excerpts from the interview:

Can you explain the role and tasks of CTF 154 within the broader CMF partnership?

CMF is a multinational maritime partnership and comprises 46 nations. It upholds the rules -based international order by countering illicit non-state actors in the high seas and promotes the security, stability, and prosperity of international waters. These waters encompass some of the world’s most important shipping lanes. It is based in Bahrain.

Under CMF, there are five task forces: CTF 150 (Gulf of Oman security and counterterrorism), CTF 151 (counter piracy), CTF 152 (Arabian Gulf security and cooperation), CTF 153 (Red Sea/Gulf of Aden security and cooperation), and CTF 154 (maritime security training). CTF 154 is tasked with training the partnering nations and improving their maritime security capacity and capabilities.

What are the key security challenges that are prevalent in the Western Indian Ocean and the broader Indian Ocean Region (IOR)?

If we consider the Western Indian Ocean region, we can see the presence of traditional security risks with the tensions and conflicts in the region, particularly in the Middle East and northwest of the Indian subcontinent. We can also see the presence of extensive transnational crimes in the region, which we as CMF mostly focus on. This includes piracy, drug smuggling, arms trafficking, human trafficking, and smuggling.

In the broader IOR, Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, maritime natural hazards, environmental stresses like pollution and rising sea levels, irregular migration, food shortages, disease, and famine are the most vulnerable security challenges we face at present.

How did Sri Lanka join this partnership?

Sri Lanka had been interested in joining CMF for some time as we are concerned about our maritime security, which is linked to that of the broader maritime security of the Indian Ocean. 

Sri Lanka became the 39th member of CMF in November 2023 and soon after, the Sri Lanka Navy was able to deploy a senior national representative at CMF HQ in Bahrain. It is an honour for the Sri Lanka Navy and a recognition of our professionalism and capabilities that we were entrusted with the command of the CTF 154 on 26 January 2025.

CTF 154, which was established on 22 May 2023, is the youngest CTF. Our primary objective as CTF 154 is to train partner navies and improve operational capabilities to enhance maritime security in the region. 

In broad terms, CTF 154 supports the command objective of enhancing CMF’s leadership role in the region, especially through the coordination and facilitation of Maritime Security Enhancement Training (MSET) activities with CMF member nations/partners whilst encouraging participation from interested nations outside CMF.

A safe and secure Indian Ocean is vital for Sri Lanka. How does CMF help ensure such?

The CMF area of operation includes the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Oman, the Arabian Sea, the Arabian Gulf, the Red Sea, and part of the Western Indian Ocean. CMF’s main focus is to ensure a safe maritime environment free from illicit non-state actors in the region. This includes protecting the free flow of commerce, improving maritime security, and deterring illicit activity by non-state actors.

CMF’s activities focus on vital areas where there is a high density of illicit non-state actors’ presence, thereby preventing them from entering the rest of the Indian Ocean, resulting in a safe and secure Indian Ocean, which Sri Lanka as well as other regional nations aspire to sustain.

This is the first time the SLN is heading a task force in a regional security body. How does it feel to be the first from Sri Lanka to command this task force and what does having this role mean for the SLN?

We are very proud to be the first team to command a CTF in such a large multinational environment. Our CTF 154 staff also consists of officers from Canada, Egypt, Jordan, Seychelles, and the United States working along with us. Hopefully, a few other navies may join us in the near future.

We work very closely with CMF HQ, other task forces, and different departments and agencies like the US Coast Guard and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). All these engagements give us new experiences and allow us to explore opportunities in a maritime environment. This collective effort helps keep the Indian Ocean a safer zone for peaceful existence and sustainable development.

What are the key training objectives you want to achieve?

We are coordinating and facilitating the development and delivery of MSET for CMF members and partner nations, including CTFs, with the aim of improving interoperability, capacity, capability, and cooperation in order to enable nations to take an increasing share of the collective responsibility for maritime security in the region.

We are primarily working on six identified areas – six Lines of Efforts (LOEs), in military terms. These are Maritime Security Operations (MSO), Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), Maritime Law, Sailor Development, Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and Damage Control (DC), and Maritime Interoperability.

However, we are not restricted to these LOEs. We have the liberty to conduct any relevant training aligned to CMF strategy and upon any requests from member/partner nations. Here I should say that we, under the Sri Lankan command, initiated a survey to identify what CMF members/partners actually need with the current challenging maritime environment. The survey is still in progress and the results may change how CTF 154 is looking at the training needs at present.

Apart from MSET, we have another very important responsibility to conduct: Key Leadership Engagement (KLE), in order to improve the relationship with and promote cooperation among CMF members, partners, regional countries, and selected international organisations. 

We have already visited Egypt and conducted KLEs with the Egyptian Navy’s senior officials and senior representatives of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). We have identified a few other nations and organisations to conduct KLEs during our tenure.

Given the operational experience the SLN has in combating non-state actors at sea and in the constabulary role, what did Sri Lanka bring to the table when it took over command of CTF 154?

Yes, SLN possesses vast operational experience through countering one of the most powerful insurgent groups that used terrorism and one that was operational at sea.

Capacity building for MSET is a vital part of the mission at CTF 154. Therefore, we share our experiences through organised MSET activities among member and partner nations. The lessons we learnt in the defence of Sri Lanka and in protecting vital maritime commerce during nearly three decades of conflict positions the Sri Lanka Navy well to be at the helm of CTF 154.

In your opinion, how important is the Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) which has been established in Bahrain for the CMF mission and what can Sri Lanka learn from it?

The JMIC in Bahrain is a key part of the CMF mission. It plays a vital role in sharing information and coordinating efforts among member nations to address common maritime security threats like piracy, drug trafficking, and other illegal activities. The ability to bring together information from multiple countries allows for quicker and more effective responses, improving overall security in the region.

The Information Fusion Centre (IFC) functions under the Sri Lanka Navy and can coordinate with the JMIC in order to develop a common maritime picture when a situation arises in the relevant maritime environment. Given the scale and use of technology and advanced systems that the JMIC has access to, Sri Lanka can benefit from this experience as we move to modernise and improve our capabilities.

What do you think SLN stands to gain from heading the training command of CMF?

With the Sri Lanka Navy leading CTF 154, the SLN and our nation can gain significant benefits and opportunities from this experience.

Firstly, it helps strengthen our international relations. This allows the Sri Lanka Navy to enhance diplomatic ties with participating nations, strengthening collaboration and mutual understanding, which leads to stronger bilateral and multilateral relationships in maritime security. As small nations in the region, naval diplomacy and such linkages go a long way in working together during a crisis.

Secondly, in terms of improving training methodologies and capabilities, commanding CTF 154 offers the SLN access to modern training methodologies and best practices from member nations. This knowledge can be used to identify and address weaknesses in existing systems, enhancing operational readiness and effectiveness.

The position also helps improve the SLN’s reputation. This will be a good opportunity for SLN to showcase its capabilities as a reliable partner when addressing common maritime security issues in the region. Engaging in multinational operations and leading such a diverse coalition will enhance Sri Lanka’s experience in joint operations and multinational coordination. Such experience is vital to keep the SLN sharp, able, and ready to serve Sri Lanka and its interests.

I think being entrusted this command position today can open doors for Sri Lanka to lead other CTFs, positioning SLN officers to fill the vacancies at CMF in the future. This will immensely contribute to the shaping of future leaders of the SLN. The oceans have common challenges for all littoral nations and to deal with them we need to work in partnership.

With the command of CTF 154, Sri Lanka and the SLN can also leverage global experience in countering non-traditional threats in the IOR. It is also a valuable learning experience to gain an understanding of existing and emerging non-traditional threats in other regions of the world. This exposure enables us to identify threats that may impact the IOR in the future and adopt precautionary measures based on lessons learnt.

Piracy, trafficking, and human smuggling in the IOR have been a constant concern for Sri Lanka and the region. Can experience gained from holding command of multinational forces such as those under CTF 154’s purview improve the SLN’s capacity to better carry out its duties at sea?

Yes. Not only commanding CTF 154, but being a part of CMF gives us more avenues to understand how such illicit actors behave and act in the region. As CTF 154 frequently engages with training activities, our team gets many opportunities to engage with subject matter experts such as experts in maritime law, maritime industry, and regional security.

We are presently planning for a major exercise – ‘Operation Southern Readiness’ – to be conducted by CTF 154 in Sri Lanka in September. That will be a great opportunity for the SLN to train, especially with regional navies that engage in countering illicit activities that are common to us. Here we expect to share the knowledge of both trainers and trainees rather than focusing on teaching.

Given your experience with CMF, do you think there are more avenues for closer cooperation and participation that the SLN can use to expand Sri Lanka’s contribution to regional security and stability?

We can continuously engage with CMF in different capacities as it is the largest maritime coalition in the region. We can get the command of CTF 154 or other CTFs, we can provide staff officers for CTFs and CMF HQ. One other avenue is sharing information with relevant nations and organisations. The SLN is already in the process and engages in close cooperation with information-sharing bodies in the region.