International exercise Obangame Express 2023 set to begin
12:00 AM1/9/2023
Hosted in Nigeria, OE23 works to improve regional cooperation, information-sharing practices, and tactical interdiction expertise to counter illicit sea-based activity.
Crew aboard the Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel "Woody" Williams entering the Port of Dakar, Senegal, during exercise Obangame Express on March 17, 2022. The exercise is an at-sea maritime exercise designed to improve cooperation among participating nations in order to increase maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Guinea and West Africa coastal regions.
Crew aboard the Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel "Woody" Williams entering the Port of Dakar, Senegal, during exercise Obangame Express on March 17, 2022. The exercise is an at-sea maritime exercise designed to improve cooperation among participating nations in order to increase maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Guinea and West Africa coastal regions.
Obangame Express brings a multinational approach to security in African waters
3:34 PM3/22/2022
Service members with the Royal Moroccan military provide covering positions during a boarding training evolution aboard the Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel "Woody" Williams as part of exercise Obangame Express 2022, March 15, 2022. Obangame Express 2022 is a maritime exercise designed to improve cooperation and increase maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea and West Africa coastal regions.
Obangame Express brings a multinational approach to security African waters
3:16 PM3/22/2022
Service members with the Royal Moroccan military provide covering positions during a boarding training evolution aboard the Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel "Woody" Williams as part of exercise Obangame Express 2022, March 15, 2022. Obangame Express 2022 is a maritime exercise designed to improve cooperation and increase maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea and West Africa coastal regions.
Obangame Express brings a multinational approach to security in African waters
3:15 PM3/22/2022
Service members from ally and African partner nations attend the Senior Leadership Symposium as part of exercise Obangame Express 2022 at the Senegalese Naval Headquarters, in Dakar, Senegal, March 16, 2022. Obangame Express 2022 is a maritime exercise designed to improve cooperation and increase maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea and West Africa coastal regions.
Obangame Express brings a multinational approach to security in African waters
3:15 PM3/22/2022
Senegalese sailors participate in medical training onboard the Senegalese Navy's patrol ship, Fouladou, as part of exercise Obangame Express in Dakar, Senegal, Mar. 14, 2022. Obangame Express 2022 is a maritime exercise designed to improve cooperation and increase maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea and West Africa coastal regions.
Obangame Express brings a multinational approach to security in African waters
3:12 PM3/22/2022
Lt. Col. Khadessa Sy, head of gender division, Senegalese Armed Forces, delivers the keynote speech for the Women, Peace, and Security presentation at the Senior Leadership Symposium as part of exercise Obangame Express 2022 at the Senegalese Naval Headquarters, in Dakar, Senegal, March 16, 2022. Obangame Express 2022 is a maritime exercise designed to improve cooperation and increase maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea and West Africa coastal regions.
Obangame Express brings a multinational approach to security in African waters
3:12 PM3/22/2022
Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Ryan Altizer points out a potential surface contact to Master-at-Arms 1st Class Rachael Crawford, both assigned to Maritime Expeditionary Security Squadron Three, while entering the Port of Dakar, Senegal, aboard the Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel "Woody" Williams during exercise Obangame Express 2022, March 17, 2022. Obangame Express 2022 is a maritime exercise designed to improve cooperation and increase maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea and West Africa coastal regions.
Obangame Express brings a multinational approach to security African waters
2:50 PM3/22/2022
Service members with the Royal Moroccan military provide covering positions during a boarding training evolution aboard the Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel "Woody" Williams as part of exercise Obangame Express 2022, March 15, 2022. Obangame Express 2022 is a maritime exercise designed to improve cooperation and increase maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea and West Africa coastal regions.
Obangame Express brings a multinational approach to security
12:00 AM3/21/2022
The exercise, concluding March 18, 2022, featured an in-port training period followed by an at-sea portion that tested the participating ships’ and maritime operation centers’ abilities to conduct maritime interdiction operations.
Service members from the Ghanaian special forces provide cover while approaching a vessel during a boarding exercise as part of Obangame Express 2021, March 17, 2021. Obangame Express, conducted by U.S. Naval Forces Africa, is an at-sea maritime exercise designed to improve cooperation among participating nations in order to increase maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Guinea and West Africa coastal regions.
Service members from the Ghanaian special forces provide cover while approaching a vessel during a boarding exercise as part of Obangame Express 2021 on March 17, 2021. Obangame Express is an at-sea maritime exercise designed to improve cooperation among participating nations in order to increase maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Guinea and West Africa coastal regions.
AFRICOM’s Gen. Townsend meets African leaders at exercise African Lion
9:40 AM6/21/2021
Gen. Stephen Townsend visited Morocco to attend the closing ceremony of African Lion 2021 and to meet with several African defense leaders June 17-19, 2021.
A Ghanaian Sailor searches an outgoing car while standing watch at the Ghana, Eastern Naval Command, during Exercise Obangame Express, March 21, 2021. Obangame Express, conducted by U.S. Naval Forces Africa, is an at-sea maritime exercise designed to improve cooperation among participating nations in order to increase maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Guinea and West Africa coastal regions.
A Ghanaian Sailor assumes a watch position at the Ghana, Eastern Naval Command, during Exercise Obangame Express, March 21, 2021. Obangame Express, conducted by U.S. Naval Forces Africa, is an at-sea maritime exercise designed to improve cooperation among participating nations in order to increase maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Guinea and West Africa coastal regions.
Ghanaian Sailors stand watch at the Ghana, Eastern Naval Command during Exercise Obangame Express, March 21, 2021. Obangame Express, conducted by U.S. Naval Forces Africa, is an at-sea maritime exercise designed to improve cooperation among participating nations in order to increase maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Guinea and West Africa coastal regions.
The women serving within the participating nations in Exercise Obangame Express 2021 represent only a small number in a growing community of women in the armed forces.
Medical experts conduct virtual pandemic preparation, response event during Obangame Express
9:25 AM3/22/2021
Cmdr. Helen Cann, senior medical officer, participates in a pandemic preparation and response virtual engagement in support of Exercise Obangame Express 2021 on March 16, 2021. Obangame Express, conducted by U.S. Naval Forces Africa, is an at-sea maritime exercise designed to improve cooperation among participating nations in order to increase maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Guinea and West African coastal regions.
Service members from the Ghanaian special forces provide cover while approaching a vessel during a boarding exercise as part of Obangame Express 2021, March 17, 2021. Obangame Express, conducted by U.S. Naval Forces Africa, is an at-sea maritime exercise designed to improve cooperation among participating nations in order to increase maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Guinea and West Africa coastal regions.
International Exercise Obangame Express set to begin
12:00 AM3/12/2021
OE21 is part of a comprehensive strategy by U.S. Naval Forces Africa and U.S. Africa Command to provide collaborative opportunities for African forces and international partners to address maritime security concerns.
U.S. Africa Command cancels exercise Obangame Express
12:00 AM3/14/2020
The decision not to proceed with the exercise comes in response to the global effort to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), while minimizing exposure of U.S. and partner nation service members to this virus.
190318-N-RG482-0265
Military members from the Cameroonian Armed Forces participate in a visit, board, search and seizure drill aboard a Nigerian training vessel during exercise Obangame Express 2019 in Lagos, Nigeria, March 18, 2019. Obangame Express, sponsored by U.S. Africa Command, is designed to improve regional cooperation, maritime domain awareness, information-sharing practices, and tactical interdiction expertise to enhance the collective capabilities of Gulf of Guinea and West African nations to counter sea-based illicit activity.
Gambia trains on maritime clearing techniques as part of Obangame Express 2019
12:00 AM3/18/2019
Members of the Gambian navy conduct clearing techniques during a simulated drug smuggling and human trafficking scenario aboard the Gambia Navy’s patrol vessel, GNS Kunti Kinte during Exercise Obangame Express 2019 in Banjul, Gambia, March 18. Exercise Obangame Express, sponsored by U.S. Africa Command, is designed to improve regional cooperation, maritime domain awareness, information-sharing practices, and tactical interdiction expertise to enhance the collective capabilities of Gulf of Guinea and West African nations to counter sea-based illicit activity.
Specific skill sets exercised for OE19 include boarding techniques, search and rescue operations, medical casualty response, radio communication, and information management techniques.
More than 36 organizations participated this year, among them 19 African nations and 15 European, Atlantic, and international organizations under the umbrella of maritime safety, security and cooperation in the Gulf of Guinea
5 Things You Need to Know About Obangame Express 2017
3:38 PM3/20/2017
Obangame Express 2017 provides African, European, South American and U.S. partner maritime forces the opportunity to work together, share information and refine tactics, techniques and procedures in order to assist Gulf of Guinea maritime nations with building capacity to monitor and enforce their territorial waters and exclusive economic zones.
Obangame Express Boarding Operations Enhance Gulf of Guinea
8:56 AM3/25/2015
Ivory Coast boarding team members establish perimeter security aboard the German navy vessel FGS Brandenburg (F215) March 21, 2015 during an illegal fishing training scenario as part of Obangame Express 2015. Obangame Express is a U.S. Africa Command-sponsored multinational maritime exercise designed to increase maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Guinea. (U.S. Army photo by Specialist Raul Pacheco/Released)
Exercise Obangame Express 2015 Nations Meet to Finalize Plans
10:14 AM1/20/2015
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)
“Obangame Express is about the motivation of our people to dig into some wicked problems together and unearth ways to make our waters safer,” said Lt. Gen. Kirk Smith, deputy commander, U.S. Africa Command.