DEFENCEWEB
France and South Africa, which share a maritime exclusive economic zone (EEZ) border, have completed the biennial Exercise Oxide.
France and South Africa share one geographical area of interest, the southern Indian Ocean close to the EEZ of the French island Crozet and the South African islands of Prince Edward and Marion.
The aim of the exercise is to enhance cooperation and interoperability between the two forces.
This year’s iteration, which took place around the False Bay area and the West Coast of the Western Cape, ended on November 28, 2022. The exercise included various maritime exercises, with the main objective being search and rescue. Other objectives included surveillance, disaster relief, and hostage negotiations and releases.
South African Navy Capt. N.K. Goboza, joint task force commander, explained that the objective was to conduct joint visit, board, search and seizure exercises, “which is a current challenge to the maritime environment whereby we may be tasked to go and rescue a vessel that has hostages onboard.”
Goboza noted that continuously exercising together would make sure that both navies were “already in sync in terms of tactics, standard operating procedures and communications; we know who to call and what to do.”
French officials noted that the two countries are the only ones in the area with strong navies that have frigates with high-level capabilities.
Every year, French Navy patrol vessels make up to six port visits. During the COVID-19 lockdown, South Africa continued to provide replenishment facilities to French patrol vessels, allowing them to greatly extend their range into the southern Indian Ocean.
Exercise Oxide has taken place every second year for the past 25 years, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the exercise had to be canceled in 2020.
The next iteration of the exercise will be hosted by France and take place in Réunion.
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