Us Africa Command News

The Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary sea base USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB 4) completed its routine planned maintenance in Rijeka, Croatia Feb. 8, 2024 at Viktor Lenac Shipyard.Military Sealift Command, Europe and Africa (MSCEURAF) and Forward Deployed Regional Maintenance Center (FDRMC) executed the ship’s planned Mid-Term Availability (MTA), a depot-level maintenance period, to maintain safety and mission-essential equipment and ensure the ship will reach its planned service life.Maintenance work during the MTA included Safety of Life At Sea equipment such as communication…

A U.S. naval destroyer docked on Sudan’s Red Sea coast on Monday in the latest sign of thawing relations with the United States, a day after a visit by a Russian frigate.The visits are a sign of international competition for influence in Sudan, which sits in a volatile region bridging the Horn of Africa, the Gulf, and North Africa, following the 2019 overthrow of long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir.Some 300 marines standing at attention aboard the USS Winston S. Churchill were greeted by a Sudanese military band in Port Sudan…

Is neo-colonialism in the Gulf of Guinea the answer to West Africa’s maritime crime crisis?In October 2020, China’s transport ministry established an ad hoc workgroup to lay down precautionary measures for ships and seafarers passing through high piracy risk West African waters.The move came as China told its vessels to up vigilance and implement a series of precautionary measures to ensure the security of ocea-going vessels and seafarers amid rising attacks and a surge in kidnaps in the Gulf of Guinea.Plans outlined by Wu Chungeng…

The Ghanaian portion of exercise Obangame Express 2018 (OE18) concluded yesterday in Tema, Ghana, with a closing ceremony. Participants from the Royal Canadian Navy, the German Navy, the U. S. Navy, the Ghanaian Navy and other partner and allied nations were in attendance. The guest of honor was Commodore Jo Kontoh, flag officer commanding, Eastern Naval Command. “I have been a part of Obangame Express exercises since the inception in 2011, said Kontoh. Over the past 11 days, the Ghanaian portion of OE18 has included many different and technical facets. Whether conducting an exercise at one of the maritime operations centers or conducting training with the Ghanaian Special Boat Service…

Maritime forces from East Africa, West Indian Ocean nations, Europe and the United States, as well as several international organizations, will begin the sixth iteration of the annual multinational maritime exercise Cutlass Express, Jan. 31. Cutlass Express 2017, sponsored by U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) and conducted by U.S. Naval Forces Africa (NAVAF), is designed to assess and improve combined maritime law enforcement capacity and promote national and regional security in East Africa, inform planning and operations. • Cutlass Express 2017 (CE17) will test participating nations’ ability to respond to illicit trafficking, piracy, illegal fishing, and search and rescue situations.

Maritime forces from North Africa, Europe, and the United States concluded exercise Phoenix Express 2016 with closing ceremonies in Souda Bay, Greece May 27. Phoenix Express, sponsored and facilitated by U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), is designed to improve regional cooperation between partner nations, increase maritime domain awareness, information sharing practices, and operational capabilities to achieve safety and security in the Mediterranean Sea. Capt. Bryan Durkee, Commodore, Task Force (CTF) 67 stated, “Phoenix Express is a great opportunity for us to work operationally and tactically in the maritime for the safety and security in the Mediterranean. At no time is it more important to be aware of what is going on in the maritime environment.

Maritime forces from Eastern Africa, Western Indian Ocean island nations, Europe and the United States, as well as several international organizations began the fifth iteration of the multinational maritime exercise Cutlass Express, Jan. 30. Cutlass Express 2016, sponsored by U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), is designed to improve regional cooperation, maritime domain awareness (MDA) and information sharing practices to increase capabilities of participating nations to counter sea-based illicit activity. PORT VICTORIA, Seychelles (NNS) -- Maritime forces from Eastern Africa, Western Indian Ocean island nations, Europe and the United States, as well as several international organizations began the fifth iteration of the multinational maritime exercise Cutlass Express, Jan. 30.

China is going to build a base in Djibouti, so that will be their first military location in Africa. With the establishment of a base in Djibouti, China joins the global contest for maritime and commercial supremacy, reports Al Jazeera‎. China has long had an economic foothold in Africa, but the base would be an expansion of its military prowess beyond the Asia-Pacific region. The agreement opens the door to the creation of a permanent Chinese military presence on the African continent - at a key geopolitical address bordering the Bab el-Mandeb Strait guarding the approaches to Suez along the Arabian peninsula and the interior of East Africa.

Maritime forces from North Africa, Europe, and the United States kicked off Exercise Phoenix Express 2015 with opening ceremonies in Tunisia, today. The at sea portion of the exercise begins Monday and will test North African, European, and U.S. forces’ abilities to combat illegal migration, piracy, and movement of materials for weapons of mass destruction. Phoenix Express 2015, sponsored and facilitated by U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), is designed to improve regional cooperation, maritime domain awareness (MDA), information-sharing practices, and tactical interdiction expertise to counter sea-based illicit activity in the region. Vice Adm. James Foggo III, Commander U.S. Capt.

Maritime forces from Gulf of Guinea nations, Europe, South America, and the United States and several regional and international organizations concluded the multinational maritime exercise, Obangame Express 2015, March 27. Obangame Express, sponsored by U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), was designed to improve regional cooperation, maritime domain awareness, information-sharing practices and tactical interdiction expertise to enhance the collective capabilities of Gulf of Guinea nations to counter sea-based illicit activity. Exercise Obangame Express, now in its fifth year, is one of four U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa-facilitated regional exercises. The exercise is part of a comprehensive strategy by U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S.

The U.S. Navy’s joint high-speed vessel USNS Spearhead (JHSV 1) delivered wheelchairs and medical supplies to Ghanaian non-governmental organizations March 26, 2015. The materials were delivered under the U.S. Navy’s Project Handclasp program, which accepts humanitarian, educational and goodwill donations, contributed by the American private sector, and transports them to foreign nations on a space-available basis aboard U.S. Navy vessels. Spearhead delivered 168 of these three-wheeled, hand-cranked wheelchairs, with 154 being adult sized and 14 being for children. The shipment weighed more than 15,600 pounds, with an estimated total worth of $42,000. The humanitarian items are from charities in the United States.

Ghanaian navy sailors joined a German navy maritime interdiction operations (MIO) team and a U.S. Navy medical trainer for three days of maritime security training at Naval Base Tema, Ghana, ending March 18, 2015. The training took place prior to the official start of Exercise Obangame Express 2015, sponsored by U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), which increases the collective ability of African, European, South American and U.S. maritime forces to work together in order to increase maritime security and sustain global commerce. Commander Derrick Attachie, Lead Planner, Ghana, Obangame Express commented, “We are all one people, and it is better to be working together than to work alone. The problems at sea have become transnational, and we know that one country cannot fight it alone.

Maritime forces from East Africa, South Africa, Europe, Indian Ocean nations, the United States and several international organizations began the fourth iteration of the multinational maritime Exercise Cutlass Express, Jan. 28, 2015. Exercise Cutlass Express 2015, sponsored by U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), is designed to improve regional cooperation, maritime domain awareness (MDA) and information-sharing practices to increase capabilities of East African and Indian Ocean nations to counter sea-based illicit activity. The exercise leverages The Djibouti Code of Conduct, which 21 nations are signatory to, as a framework for exercising information-sharing practices and enforcing maritime rule of law at sea.

Capt. Anthony L. Simmons relieved Cmdr. Curtis B. Calloway as commanding officer of the guided-missile destroyer USS James E. Williams (DDG 95) at sea on Sept. 16. Simmons arrives from the staff of Commander, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 2 and will remain in command pending the completion of a DESRON 2 command-directed investigation into the command climate aboard James E. Williams. Calloway, former James E. Williams Executive Officer Cmdr. Ed Handley, and Command Master Chief Travis Biswell have been assigned to the staff at Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic pending the outcome of the investigation. The ship and her crew departed Naval Station Norfolk May 30, for an eight-month deployment to the 6th Fleet area of operations.

Maritime forces from the United States, 10 East African and two European nations, along with several international organizations, have just commenced the multinational maritime exercise Cutlass Express 2013 off the coast of East Africa. Exercise Cutlass Express 2013, held in several operational areas in waters off East Africa, is an at-sea maritime exercise designed to improve cooperation, tactical expertise and information sharing practices among participating nations in order to increase maritime safety and security in the region.

According to a report to Congress, the Navy is downsizing its goal for the size of its fleet from 313 to 306 ships. The losers are the controversial littoral combat ship line, cut from 55 to 52; large ships, such as destroyers and cruisers, go from 94 to 88 and the four existing guided-missile submarines will not be replaced, reports U-T San Diego. The report adds that the Navy’s move of four destroyers to Rota, Spain, means fewer ships can provide the same overseas presence. The reduction in LCS is because of less demand from the U.S. Africa Command.

Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Comfort's Medical Treatment Facility changed leadership May 25 as Navy Capt. Kevin J. Knoop assumed command from Navy Capt. David K. Weiss during a ceremony aboard Comfort at Canton Pier in Baltimore. Comfort's primary mission is to serve as an afloat, mobile, acute-surgical medical facility to the U.S. military, with a secondary mission of providing hospital services for disaster relief and humanitarian operations worldwide. Comfort's Medical Treatment Facility, or MTF, is crewed and maintained by medical personnel from the U.S.

Military Sealift Command fleet replenishment oiler USNS Big Horn returned to Naval Station Norfolk Oct. 28, following a seven-month deployment to the U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility, providing underway replenishment services primarily to U.S. and NATO forces supporting Operation Unified Protector. Big Horn travelled 39,355 nautical miles during the deployment and conducted 112 underway replenishments, delivering 10 million gallons of fuel – including more than 570, 000 gallons of jet fuel – and 1,042 pallets of stores and equipment to U.S.

IMS Dredges, a division of LWT, LLC, is facilitating the creation of a local security zone in the Gulf of Guinea. IMS Dredges' 7012 HP Versi-dredge is being utilized to develop the bases for the The African Partnership Station in its fight against piracy. The dredged material is creating these foundations as an integral part of the security effort. Developing protection, such as this, has been an ongoing struggle in the region which has initiated the creation of various defense programs. The African Partnership Station, an aspect of the U.S.

The Sao Tome and Principe (STP) Coast Guard has installed and have received training to use the latest surface surveillance program, the Regional Maritime Awareness Capability (RMAC) here, Jan. 28. RMAC, a U.S. Navy inspired coastal surveillance program, utilizes Automatic Identification System and ground-based radars and sensors to provide the user situational awareness in their maritime domain. This maritime domain awareness is an essential aspect of maritime safety and security in their region. STP is the first African country to have RMAC installed and integrated into the Maritime Safety and Security Information System, a global database used to track ships all across the world.

From Commander, U.S. Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe (NAVEUR)/Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Africa Guidance for 2008 was released Jan. 8, by Adm. Mark Fitzgerald, Commander U.S. Naval Forces Europe. Fitzgerald's vision for naval forces in Europe and Africa centers on achieving excellence, continuing to build a creative, diverse and professional team, and making U.S. European Command (EUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) the assignment choice in the U.S. Navy. "(We will) conduct the full range of maritime operations in theater security cooperation in concert with coalition, joint, inter-agency and other partners in order to advance security and stability in Europe and Africa," he wrote. In the document, Fitzgerald defines his operational objectives and strategic imperatives.