Exercise Phoenix Express 2022, the 17th iteration of the North African maritime exercise, took place May 23 – June 3, 2022, in Tunis, Tunisia, and throughout the Mediterranean Sea. 

The exercise focused on regional cooperation, maritime domain awareness, information-sharing practices, and operational capabilities to enhance efforts that promote safety and security in the Mediterranean Sea and territorial waters of participating North African nations. Thirteen nations will participate in the exercise.

The exercise provided an opportunity to work side-by-side with partners to better synchronize and rehearse for potential real-world scenarios. Maritime security is critical to the overall stability in Africa, where 38 of 54 countries are coastal nations. Approximately 90 percent of all trade travels via the world's oceans, and nearly a third of all trade passes through the Mediterranean Sea.

Exercise Phoenix Express 2021, the 16th iteration of the North African maritime exercise, took place May 17-28, 2021, in Tunisia and throughout the Mediterranean Sea. The at-sea portion of the exercise tested North African, European, and U.S. maritime forces’ abilities to respond to irregular migration and combat illicit trafficking and the movement of illegal goods and materials. 

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