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Obangame Express Boarding Operations Enhance Gulf of Guinea

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)

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GULF OF GUINEA – Boarding teams from five Gulf of Guinea countries are using the German navy frigate FGS Brandenburg (F215) to enhance their abilities to complete visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) operations during Exercise Obangame Express 2015, from March 19 to 27, 2015.

After boarding the ship, the boarding teams are confronted with situations that require them to detain and question suspects, clear rooms and respond to medical emergencies in order to effectively demonstrate their capabilities to perform in potentially hostile shipboard environments.

Quick Facts:

• The German navy boarding team conducting the scenarios aboard the Brandenburg coordinates with each nation’s participating maritime operations center to ensure communications and logistics relating to the scenario are adequately addressed before each boarding.

• During operations on the Brandenburg, each country’s boarding team was observed by a joint German and American navy assessment team. Upon completion of one of the scenarios developed by the multinational exercise planners, each country’s boarding team’s performance is critiqued.

• The countries participating in boarding exercises aboard the Brandenburg are the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Togo and Benin.

o   They are using the frigate as a platform for executing controlled scenarios that challenge them to successfully complete boarding operations related to the prevention and interdiction of illicit fishing and trafficking.

• The Ivory Coast performed the first boarding operations March 20. Boarding exercises will conclude March 26 after the Togo navy responds to an illicit trafficking scenario aboard Brandenburg.

• The Ghana navy began illicit trafficking training scenarios aboard Brandenburg alongside the German navy boarding team in Tema, Ghana prior to the start of Obangame Express.

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

• Participating nations in Obangame Express 2015 include Angola, Belgium, Benin, Brazil, Cameroon, Cote d, Cote d Brazil, Cameroon, Cote dan and American navy assessment team. related to the preventina, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, Republic of Congo, Sao Tome and Principe, Spain, Togo, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).

For more, visit NAVAF site here.