N3, NAPLES, Italy, March 30, 2018 — Exercise Obangame Express 2018, which is sponsored by U.S. Africa Command,
is designed to improve regional cooperation, maritime domain awareness,
information-sharing practices, and tactical interdiction expertise to
enhance the collective capabilities of Gulf of Guinea and West African
nations to counter sea-based illicit activity.
OE18, now in its eighth year, is one of three 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. 6th Fleet
and Africom to provide collaborative opportunities amongst African
forces and international partners that addresses maritime security
concerns.
“It must be recognized that, in many respects, African states have
taken the lead in pushing the importance of maritime security toward the
top of the international agenda, forcing us to consider the
ramifications of action, or inaction, in the maritime domain. African
leadership in this area reflects a profound change both in how the world
understands and defines security,” said Air Force Brig. Gen. Mark
Camerer, director of logistics for Africom. “The maritime domain serves
as the crossroad of national, regional and global interests. Be it
security, economic or environmental interests, the maritime domain
connects us all,” he added.
Exercise
The exercise will last eight days, with a two-phase at-sea portion
that will encompass a regional framework and then transition to an
emphasis on national patrols. Throughout, the maritime operations center
will exercise information sharing practices.
OE18 will be conducted in multiple areas at sea and ashore. At-sea
operations will be conducted throughout the Gulf of Guinea. The largest
footprint ashore for OE18 will be in Libreville, Gabon. Numerous
maritime operations centers will be participating from ashore across the
Gulf of Guinea and West Africa along with several international
organization maritime operations centers.
“The exercise provides an excellent arena to show the necessity of
interagency cooperation for governments to accomplish a larger mission,”
said Randall Meridith, deputy chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in
Libreville, Gabon.
OE18’s Accra, Ghana, site kicked off with a tabletop exercise. A team
comprised of U.S. sailors and Marines worked together with Ghanaian
officials on scenarios at the maritime operations center in Accra. This
part of the exercise is designed to help build relationships between the
many different agencies used to help secure the Gulf of Guinea.
“Our Navy and Marine Corps team is here executing a tabletop exercise
with various Ghanaian security services during exercise Obangame
Express 2018. The exercise is designed to create an informal and
friendly atmosphere. This environment fosters a rewarding experience
with candid dialogue and open two-way communication. This tabletop
exercise is part of a Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa and Naval
Forces Africa initiative, Maritime Operations Center-Ground Force
Integration. The MOC-GFI concept focuses on African partner defense
forces and interagency communication and coordination procedures in
response to threats that span across the land, sea, and air domains,”
said Marine Corps Master Sgt. Brian Ross, the Africa foreign area staff
noncommissioned officer for Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa.
Cooperation
Through enhanced cooperation, detection capabilities, and capability
to respond — all objectives of OE18 -- Gulf of Guinea nations seek to
ensure narcotics traffickers are deterred, fisheries trade is protected,
and waters remain free of piracy, allowing for global trade to continue
unhampered and thus enhancing overall economic stability.
Specific skillsets exercised for OE18 include boarding techniques,
search and rescue operations, medical casualty response, radio
communication and information management techniques.
The U.S. will provide multiple training teams and controllers operating in African partner nations and aboard partner vessels.
The USS Mount Whitney, the command ship for U.S. 6th Fleet, will
participate in the exercise and could be used for a wide variety of
scenarios, to include at-sea ship boarding and queries, air operations,
communication drills, and regional information sharing.
“Exercise Obangame Express 2018 is off to a good start,” said Royal Canadian Navy Cmdr. Peter Koch.
“Communications tools have been checked, command and working
relationships established, tactics practiced, and ships and other assets
fueled and stored. Everyone is as ready as possible for operations that
will commence tomorrow,” Koch added.
The 31 nations scheduled to participate in Obangame Express 2018
include the U.S., Angola, Belgium, Benin, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Cameroon,
Canada, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, France,
Gabon, Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Morocco,
Namibia, Netherlands, Nigeria, Portugal, Republic of Congo, Sao Tome and
Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Spain, Togo, and Turkey, as well as
the Economic Community of West African States and the Economic Community
of Central African States.
By U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa Public Affairs