Phoenix Express Tests Maritime Security Cooperation in Mediterranean
ADF STAFF
Members of the Armed Forces of Mauritania huddled close as their vessel sliced through the Mediterranean Sea toward a ship on the horizon. Once beside the ship, the military forces boarded it, one by one. With guns drawn, they searched the vessel before arresting its captain and confiscating a cache of weapons.
The Mauritanian forces were participating in a visit, board, search and seizure drill during the 19th iteration of Phoenix Express, a 12-day, multinational maritime security exercise hosted this year by Tunisia, sponsored by U.S. Africa Command and led by U.S. Naval Forces Africa.
The goals of the annual event are to enhance regional cooperation, maritime domain awareness, information-sharing practices and operational capabilities, while improving safety and security in the Mediterranean Sea and North African territorial waters. The exercise ended November 15.
Maritime security threats in the region include piracy and armed robbery; illegal fishing; drugs, human and weapons smuggling; and toxic waste dumping.
“Tunisia is honored to host Phoenix Express 2024,” Commodore Noureddine Chakroun, Tunisian Navy deputy chief of staff in charge of operations, said in a news release. “Our strategic location in the Mediterranean allowed us to facilitate multinational operations that addressed shared security objectives by collectively addressing maritime security challenges.”
Algeria, Belgium, Georgia, Italy, Libya, Malta, Mauritania, Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia, Turkey and the United States participated. During the exercise, the nations collaborated to incorporate the use of a multinational center to improve communications among maritime forces from Europe, North Africa and the U.S.
The at-sea phase of the exercise phase evaluated the capacity of participating vessels and maritime operation centers (MOCs) to carry out maritime security operations. MOCs help manage and relay an operational picture to tactical units at sea.
“The at-sea portion of this exercise is the time to further enhance interoperability and improve ship-to-shore and ship-to-ship communications across participating nations,” Commodore Nejib Ben Saada, Tunisian exercise director for Phoenix Express, said in a news release. “The coordination across the 12 participating nations during this phase is no easy task and I look forward to strengthening our lines of communication during this phase.”
The phase included ship boarding, airborne maritime patrol operations, diving and search-and-rescue exercises.
“Year after year, nations throughout Europe and Africa return to this exercise to build on already strong partnerships, with a shared goal of reinforcing a safe and secure North Africa, and Mediterranean,” said Rear Adm. Jason Naidyhorski, vice commander, U.S. 6th Fleet, said in a news release. “The type of training we see here has evolved with each iteration, and this year is no exception.”
Phoenix Express is one of three regional maritime exercises led by U.S. Naval Forces Africa as part of a comprehensive strategy to offer collaborative opportunities to African forces and international partners to address maritime security concerns. The other exercises are Cutlass Express, which was hosted by Djibouti, Kenya and the Seychelles in late February and early March, and Obangame Express, conducted in the Gulf of Guinea in May.