Operation Prosperity Guardian
The United States led multinational maritime security operation in the Red Sea, its command arrangements and its mandate.
Operation Prosperity Guardian is the United States led multinational maritime security operation announced by the Secretary of Defense on 18 December 2023 in response to attacks on merchant shipping in the Red Sea. It was formed under the umbrella of the Combined Maritime Forces and was initially led by Combined Task Force 153, itself established on 17 April 2022 for Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb and Gulf of Aden maritime security.
Leadership of the operation passed from Combined Task Force 153 to Destroyer Squadron 50 of United States Naval Forces Central Command on 1 February 2025. Initial participants included the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain, with several states contributing under national rather than coalition command.
The full article will cover the command structure and its relationship to the Combined Maritime Forces, the contributing states, the interaction with the separate European Union operation, and what protection a merchant ship can and cannot expect from it.