Two African Nations Join Naval Training in Brazil

DEFENCEWEB

Cameroon and Namibia represented Africa at the UNITAS 2022 multinational naval exercise in Brazil.

They joined the naval and maritime forces of Belize, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Guyana, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, South Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States and Uruguay in the 63rd edition of UNITAS.

The Namibian Navy’s NS Elephant departed Walvis Bay in late August 2022 to take part in the exercise. The vessel, with its 120-person crew, traveled 6,000 kilometers to reach its destination. Cameroon, meanwhile, contributed the patrol boats CNS Le Ntem and CNS La Sanaga.

Namibia and Brazil enjoy close defense ties, with more than 600 Namibian naval personnel having been trained in Brazil over the years. Janes reported that UNITAS 2022 marked the third time the Brazilian and Namibian navies trained together in 2022.

The exercise included 20 warships and vessels, a submarine and 21 aircraft. It was conducted mainly off the coast of Rio de Janeiro with about 5,500 military personnel.

UNITAS, which is Latin for “unity,” has taken place annually since 1960. It trains forces to conduct joint maritime operations through the execution of anti-surface, anti-submarine, anti-air, amphibious and electronic warfare operations that enhance warfighting proficiency and increase interoperability.

Although the overarching goal was to develop and test command and control of forces at sea, there also were scenarios addressing electronic warfare, anti-air warfare and air defense, anti-surface warfare, live fire, maritime interdiction, littoral operations, and amphibious operations.

The at-sea phase included a multithreat, multiday scenario that allowed participants to work together, further increasing preparedness for real-world crises that would require a multinational force response. Events included surface tactical maneuvers, training to tackle illegal drug trafficking, live-fire exercises, anti-submarine warfare exercises, air defense exercises and maritime interdiction operations.