UK and France complete collaborative counter terror mission

A UK-French team have been leading the fight against terrorism in the Indian Ocean for the last five months.

Combined Task Force 150 (CTF150) polices over three million square miles of sea so as to track down vessels smuggling weapons and drugs and other things that fund or support terrorism, as well as provide reassurance to ships using the waters.

Between April and June, British, French, US and Australian warships, scored eight drugs busts. The missions by the Franco-British team removed 1.75 tonnes of narcotics from the market and seized 265kg of heroin and 455kg of hashish by the Royal Navy Type 23 frigate, HMS Monmouth.

CTF150 also focuses on deterring and denying maritime terrorist activity in the region, including trade routes such as the Suez Canal and Bab Al Mandeb Strait.

Mark Lancaster, Minister for the Armed Forces, said: “The successful joint command of CTF150, supporting our French allies, has demonstrated Britain’s firm commitment to global maritime security.

“From the joint leadership of this multinational task force to fighting side by side against Daesh, the UK and France are continuing to build on our historic defence relationship as we work to tackle terror on the global scale.”