By Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet
Public Affairs
DAKAR, Senegal (NNS) -- Naval forces from the United States,
along with African and European maritime partners, commenced the fourth annual
multinational exercise Saharan Express 2014, March 6.
Exercise Saharan Express 2014, being held in waters off West
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.
The week-long exercise will take place in two areas near the
coasts of Cabo Verde and Senegal. There will be an in port preparatory phase
and then the 11 participating ships will go to sea to test maritime security
skills.
"Over the course of the next two weeks, we will work on
interoperability, communications, coordination and familiarization. More than
that, though, we will work to come together more closely as a team linked by
the common purpose of ensuring regional maritime security," said Capt.
John Tokarewich, Saharan Express 2014 exercise director, in remarks during an
opening ceremony in Dakar. "Through cooperation on events like Saharan
Express, we are able to provide a more robust and unified team to ensure
regional maritime security."
While the Senegalese hosted the opening ceremony and is
providing the port facilities for a majority of the ships, senior leaders and
participants recognize this is a truly international collaborative event.
"Together, we will build brotherhood, friendship, and
the essential confidence to counter the challenges that we collectively
face," said Rear Adm. Cheikh Bara Cissokho, Senegalese chief of navy
staff. "Over the course of these seven days of intense activities, I am
convinced that we will achieve the assigned objectives of reinforcing our
command and control systems, perfecting the techniques of our boarding teams,
practicing interoperability of capacities and common procedures."
Saharan Express aims to test a wide variety of skill sets
such as visit, board, search and seizure, medical response, radio
communication, and information sharing across regional maritime operations
centers (MOCs). Participants will execute tactics and techniques within
scenarios that mirror real world counter-piracy and counter-illicit trafficking
operations as well as actions taken to deter illegal fishing.
Exercise Saharan Express is one of four Africa-focused
regional "Express" series exercises facilitated by U.S. Naval Forces
Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet.
The exercise serves to demonstrate and test skills that are
developed as part of Africa Partnership Station and ongoing efforts to increase
maritime domain awareness. Started in 2007, Africa Partnership Station is an
international security cooperation initiative, facilitated by U.S. Naval Forces
Africa, aimed at strengthening global maritime partnerships through training
and collaborative activities in order to improve maritime safety and security
in Africa.
African partners expressed the importance of this type of
collaboration through the Express series exercises and ongoing APS activities.
"The techniques, tactics and procedures that will be
practiced during this exercise, as well as the substantial efforts of our
partners, actively contribute to addressing illicit trafficking and illegal
fishing," Cissokho said. "It will also permit dismantling the arms
trafficking networks that contribute to terror groups, those in armed conflict,
and illegal activities in the region."
Cooperation is key to success, echoed Tokarewich.
"Already, we are seeing the benefits of regional
collaboration. More cooperation among the partners can only help with
addressing the problems of maritime security, such as stopping illegal fishing
and illicit trade, while promoting a more stable economic environment,"
said Tokarewich.
Participants in Saharan Express 2014 include Morocco,
Mauritania, Cape Verde, Senegal, Liberia, France, Portugal, Spain, The
Netherlands United Kingdom and the United States.
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