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Exercise Obangame Express 2015 Nations Meet to Finalize Plans

Planners from more than 20 African and European maritime nations attend a final planning conference in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, for Exercise Obangame Express Jan. 12, 2015. The exercise will take place in the Gulf of Guinea in March 2015, and will focus on developing regional maritime interoperability. (U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Cmdr. Kent Laborde/Released)

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Photo by: Navy LT Shawn Eklund 

Maritime professionals from more than 20 maritime nations met in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, to finalize plans for Exercise Obangame Express 2015, Jan. 12, 2015.

During the four-day meeting with representatives from 13 African nations, eight European nations, the U.S. and Brazil, planners finalized exercise scenarios, defined requirements for personnel and vessels, and gained consensus on objectives of the exercise, which will be conducted in the Gulf of Guinea during March 2015.

Quotes:

“The most important aspect of this meeting is finalizing the development of scenarios that support the individual country training opportunities and that appropriately enable national and the regional information sharing.”

– Capt. John F. Rinko , executive director of Exercise Obangame Express 2015

“Obangame is quite important for our countries because maintaining maritime security and safety is essential to the social and economic development of the region. More than 80 percent of the region’s activity is conducted by sea. There is definite progress in our combined capabilities because of Obangame, and the cooperation continues throughout the year, even after the exercise ends.”

– Commodore Mark Yawson, Flag Officer Fleet, Ghana Navy

Quick Facts:

• The exercise is scheduled take place in March 2015 in several exercise operational areas in the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa.

• Obangame Express, one of four regional Express Series exercises facilitated by U.S. Naval Forces Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet, will focus on increasing capabilities in deterring counter-piracy, counter illicit trafficking, and other maritime threats.

• Participating planners are working to integrate the Younde Declaration and deepen interagency cooperation by developing scenarios that mirror real-world operations, and improve information sharing.

• Obangame Express is a U.S. Africa Command-sponsored multinational maritime exercise designed to increase maritime safety and security in the waters throughout the Gulf of Guinea.

• U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied, joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied, joint, and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.