Gallery contains 9 images
×
Photo 1 of 9
Phoenix Express 2016
160517-N-XT273-101 SOUDA BAY, Greece (May 17, 2016) Distinguished visitors from North Africa, Europe, and the U.S. take a tour on a Hellenic rigid hull inflatable boat following the Exercise Phoenix Express 2016 opening ceremony May 17. Phoenix Express 2016, sponsored and facilitated by U.S Africa Command, is designed to improve regional cooperation, increase maritime domain awareness, information-sharing practices, and operational capabilities to enhance efforts to achieve safety and security in the Mediterranean Sea. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Justin Stumberg/Released)
Photo by: MC2 Justin Stumberg
Photo 2 of 9
Phoenix Express 2016
160517-N-XT273-424 SOUDA BAY, Greece (May 17, 2016) Senior leaders from North Africa, Europe and the U.S. pose for a group photo in front of the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Center after the Exercise Phoenix Express 2016 opening ceremony May 17. Phoenix Express 2016, sponsored and facilitated by U.S Africa Command, is designed to improve regional cooperation, increase maritime domain awareness, information-sharing practices, and operational capabilities to enhance efforts to achieve safety and security in the Mediterranean Sea. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Justin Stumberg/Released)
Photo by: MC2 Justin Stumberg
Photo 3 of 9
Phoenix Express 2016
160518-N-XT273-190 SOUDA BAY, Greece (May 18, 2016) Tunisian marines participate in fast rope familiarization during exercise Phoenix Express 2016 at the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Center May 18. Phoenix Express is a U.S. Africa Command-sponsored multinational maritime exercise designed to increase maritime safety and security in the Mediterranean. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Justin Stumberg/Released)
Photo by: MC2 Justin Stumberg
Photo 4 of 9
Phoenix Express 2016
160307-N-OX801-025 NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY NAPLES, Italy (March 7, 2016) Commander, U.S. 6th Fleet, Vice Adm. James Foggo III, right, welcomes attending senior leaders from maritime forces at the Phoenix Express 2016 planning conference at Naval Support Activity Naples, Italy, March 7, 2016. U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied, joint, and interagency partner, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Daniel P. Schumacher/Released)
Photo by: MC2/ Daniel P. Schumacher
Photo 5 of 9
Phoenix Express 2016
160517-N-XT273-320 SOUDA BAY, Greece (May 17, 2016) Maritime professionals from North Africa, Europe and the U.S. take a tour of Naval Support Activity Souda Bay on a Hellenic rigid hull inflatable boat after the Exercise Phoenix Express 2016 opening ceremony May 17. Phoenix Express 2016, sponsored and facilitated by U.S Africa Command, is designed to improve regional cooperation, increase maritime domain awareness, information-sharing practices, and operational capabilities to enhance efforts to achieve safety and security in the Mediterranean Sea. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Justin Stumberg/Released)
Photo by: MC2 Justin Stumberg
Photo 6 of 9
Phoenix Express 2016
160517-N-VK993-001 SOUDA BAY, Greece (May 17, 2016) Rear Adm. Kevin Kovacich, Director of Strategy, Plans, and programs, U.S. Africa Command, and Italian Navy Rear Adm. Alberto Maffeis, Commander Patrol Forces Italy joined with Hellenic Navy Commodore Georgios Tsogkas, Commandant of NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Center for a tour of Naval Support Activity Souda Bay as part of exercise Phoenix Express 2016 opening ceremony May 17. Phoenix Express 2016, sponsored and facilitated by U.S Africa Command, is designed to improve regional cooperation, increase maritime domain awareness, information-sharing practices, and operational capabilities to enhance efforts to achieve safety and security in the Mediterranean Sea. (U.S. Navy photo by Lieutenant Junior Grade Jill Brown/Released)
Photo 7 of 9
Phoenix Express 2016
160517-N-XT273-415 SOUDA BAY, Greece (May 17, 2016) Rear Adm. Kevin J. Kovacich, Director of Strategy, Plans and Programs U. S. Africa Command, receives a gift from Hellenic Navy Commodore Georgics Tsogkas, NATO Maritime Interdiction Operations Training Center Commandant, during the opening ceremony of exercise Phoenix Express 2016, May 17. Phoenix Express 2016, sponsored and facilitated by U.S Africa Command, is designed to improve regional cooperation, increase maritime domain awareness, information-sharing practices, and operational capabilities to enhance efforts to achieve safety and security in the Mediterranean Sea. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Justin Stumberg/Released)
Photo by: MC2 Justin Stumberg
Photo 8 of 9
Phoenix Express 2016
160518-N-XT273-090 SOUDA BAY, Greece (May 18, 2016) Tunisian marines participate in fast rope familiarization during exercise Phoenix Express 2016 at the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Center May 18. Phoenix Express is a U.S. Africa Command-sponsored multinational maritime exercise designed to increase maritime safety and security in the Mediterranean. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Justin Stumberg/Released)
Photo by: MC2 Justin Stumberg
Photo 9 of 9
Phoenix Express 2016
160307-N-OX801-011 NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY NAPLES, Italy (March 7, 2016) Commander, U.S. 6th Fleet, Vice Adm. James Foggo III, right, gives remarks at the Phoenix Express 2016 planning conference at Naval Support Activity Naples, Italy, March 7, 2016. U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied, joint, and interagency partner, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Daniel P. Schumacher/Released)
Photo by: MC2/ Daniel P. Schumacher
SOUDA BAY, Greece – Exercise Phoenix Express is underway and this year’s exercise control group will be hosted at the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operations Training Center (NMIOTC) located in Souda Bay, Greece but training will take place throughout the Mediterranean to include North African nations’ territorial waters.
The at-sea portion of the exercise will test North African, European, and U.S. forces’ abilities to combat illegal migration, illicit trafficking, and movement of materials for weapons of mass destruction. Additionally, participating forces will work together to practice procedures of search and rescue in cases where vessels are in distress. Participating Maritime Operations Centers (MOCs) will exercise information sharing practices.
Participants of Phoenix Express have opportunities to enhance expertise in a number of areas: boarding techniques, search-and-rescue operations, medical casualty response, MOC to MOC communication, and maritime domain awareness tools.
“The benefit of Phoenix Express is the coordination and collaboration that happens between multi-national partners in the maritime environment,” said U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Kevin Kovacich, director of strategy, plans and programs, U.S. Africa Command. “Every Chief of Naval Operations that I have ever worked for, part of their vison has always been not just the U.S. Forces but all of the other partners that we operate with around the world. “It takes all of us working together and contributing to each other’s knowledge and experience.”
Scenarios focused on the globally-recognized Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) will allow endorsing nations of Tunisia and Morocco to develop capabilities to detect and disrupt the delivery of materials used to build and develop weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
A Combined Maritime Operation Center (CMOC), led and comprised of North African navy officers, will form at the NMIOTC to manage the at-sea operations.
While the exercise is facilitated by the U.S. Navy, senior leaders from North African navies have prominent roles in the exercise. A Moroccan officer will oversee the exercise control group; a Tunisian officer will oversee the CMOC; and an Algerian officer will oversee a five-ship surface action group participating in the at-sea phase.
“I provide customized and dedicated training to the participating units and have been committed to this for the past nine years since the center was established,” said Commodore Georgios Tsogkas, Commandant of NATO Maritime, Interdiction Operational Training Center (NMIOTC), Hellenic Navy. “Phoenix Express sets the provisions to allow partners to get integrated and provide opportunities for the crew members to work and integrate together.”
U.S. units participating include the dive and rescue salvage ship USNS Grasp (T-ARS 51), and the USS Gravely (DDG 107). Additionally, medical and maritime interdiction operations (MIO) specialists will assist participating partner nation units during the exercise.
A senior leader seminar will be held one day prior to the start of the exercise, organized and facilitated by the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies. The seminar will focus on the current maritime challenges in the Mediterranean and bring forward dialogue on how regional cooperation can address those challenges.
Exercise Phoenix Express is one of three U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet facilitated regional exercises. The exercise is part of a comprehensive strategy to provide collaborative opportunities amongst African forces and international partners that addresses maritime security concerns.
Participating nations in Phoenix Express 2016 include Algeria, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Malta, Mauritania, Morocco, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey and the United States. NATO Shipping Center is also scheduled to participate.
Phoenix Express is a U.S. Africa Command sponsored exercise with the planning effort and executed led by U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet. The exercise will be conducted May 17 – 27, encompassing a preparatory in-port phase and an at-sea maritime phase.
