Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

It is very important to emphasise that this is, indeed, an international effort. The Combined Maritime Forces that I referred to in my first answer is a 31-nation naval partnership that ensures security, stability and prosperity across more than 3.2 million square miles of international waters.

HMAS Darwin herself is currently assigned to Combined Task Force 150 and is focused on disrupting the trade, in particular, of narcotics. Leadership of the CTF—Combined Task Force 150—rotates between Combined Maritime Forces international members, and Australia is currently in command of CTF-150.

Australia also continues, as I indicated in relation to our other activities, to participate in multilateral counterpiracy mechanisms off the coast of Somalia as well as in the Shared Awareness and Deconfliction group, which is coordinating military responses to the threat of piracy in the Gulf of Aden. (Time expired)