Luanda - The Angolan Navy will be taking part in the international exercise called ‘Obangame Express 2024’ in the Gulf of Guinea from Monday until the 17th of May.
The exercise takes place annually as part of the implementation of the Yaondé Architecture in the Gulf of Guinea region, to which Angola is a party and coordinator of Zone A.
It is part of the maritime agreements and interoperability between African, European and American countries and takes place under the auspices of the African Naval Force (NAVAF) of the African Command (AFRICOM) of the United States of America (USA).
OE24 aims to exercise regional maritime agreements and interoperability between African, European, North Atlantic nations and US military and civilian agencies in the broad remit of maritime security, which includes energy security, combating maritime piracy, illicit trafficking and illegal fishing.
It also aims to improve search and rescue, hijacking, illegal immigration, armed robbery and oil spill response techniques.
Speaking to the press, the head of the Angolan Navy's operations directorate, Rear Admiral Josemar de Carvalho, said that the corporation is ready to take part in ‘Obangame Express 2024’.
According to the rear admiral, the navy has state-of-the-art equipment for the exercise, as well as qualified human resources.
For the drills, he said, MGM will participate with a Ngola Kiluange or Ocean Eagle class patrol ship, an HSI-32 interceptor boat, four Rodman33 class patrol boats, three boarding teams, an equal number of pneumatic boats for VBSS training, a Maritime Operations Centre, an ambulance and a helicopter belonging to the National Air Force.
It also has special action teams of marines specialising in cooperative and non-cooperative approaches.
Josemar de Carvalho added that this exercise seeks to have a positive impact on the pacification of conflicts in Africa and the West.
He said that the Angolan navy's participation in this event will increasingly improve the operationalisation of the forces, which could go on to carry out other missions on the continent and beyond.
Command and direction of the exercise will be carried out from the General Command Post located in Libreville-Gabon and, in the five zones, by the Multinational Coordination Centres.
In Zone A, where Angola is the coordinating country, it will be run by the MGA commission, the NAVAF team of assessors, observer officers from the Regional Maritime Security Centre (CRESMAC) and the countries belonging to the zone. LIN/ART/DAN/DOJ
