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U.S. Naval Forces Africa ships participate in exercise African Lion
ATLANTIC OCEAN (JUNE 13, 2021) The Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport vessel USNS Trenton (T-EPF-5), front, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Rose (DDG 71), center, and the Moroccan navy Sigma class frigate Allal Ben Abdellah (615), sail in formation to kick off exercise African Lion 2021 with the Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB 4) in the Atlantic Ocean, June 13, 2021. African Lion 2021 is U.S. Africa Command’ largest, premier, joint, annual exercise hosted by Morocco, Tunisia and Senegal, 7-18 June. More than 7,000 participants from nine nations and NATO train together with a focus on enhancing readiness for U.S. and partner nation forces. AL21 is a multi-domain, multi-component, and multi-national exercise, which employs a full array of mission capabilities with the goal to strengthen interoperability among participants. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Eric Coffer/Released)
Photo by: Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric Coffer
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U.S. Naval Forces Africa ships participate in exercise African Lion
ATLANTIC OCEAN (JUNE 13, 2021) The Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport vessel USNS Trenton (T-EPF-5), left, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Rose (DDG 71), center, and the Moroccan navy Sigma class frigate Allal Ben Abdellah (615), sail in formation to kick off exercise African Lion 2021 with the Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB 4) in the Atlantic Ocean, June 13, 2021. African Lion 2021 is U.S. Africa Command’ largest, premier, joint, annual exercise hosted by Morocco, Tunisia and Senegal, 7-18 June. More than 7,000 participants from nine nations and NATO train together with a focus on enhancing readiness for U.S. and partner nation forces. AL21 is a multi-domain, multi-component, and multi-national exercise, which employs a full array of mission capabilities with the goal to strengthen interoperability among participants. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Eric Coffer/Released)
Photo by: Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric Coffer
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U.S. Naval Forces Africa ships participate in exercise African Lion
ATLANTIC OCEAN (JUNE 13, 2021) Mineman 2nd Class Lynyrd Abella fires a .50 caliber machine gun at an inflatable target known as a “killer Tomato” aboard the Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB 4) during exercise African Lion 2021 in the Atlantic Ocean, June 13, 2021. African Lion 2021 is U.S. Africa Command’ largest, premier, joint, annual exercise hosted by Morocco, Tunisia and Senegal, 7-18 June. More than 7,000 participants from nine nations and NATO train together with a focus on enhancing readiness for U.S. and partner nation forces. AL21 is a multi-domain, multi-component, and multi-national exercise, which employs a full array of mission capabilities with the goal to strengthen interoperability among participants. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Eric Coffer/Released)
Photo by: Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric Coffer
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U.S. Naval Forces Africa ships participate in exercise African Lion
AGADIR, Morocco (JUNE 11, 2021) as part of African Lion 2021, Capt. Michael Concannon, commanding officer, Gold crew, center, leads a tour of the ship to U.S. Army and Moroccan armed forces personnel aboard the Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB 4) in Agadir, Morocco, June 11, 2021. African Lion 2021 is U.S. Africa Command’ largest, premier, joint, annual exercise hosted by Morocco, Tunisia and Senegal, 7-18 June. More than 7,000 participants from nine nations and NATO train together with a focus on enhancing readiness for U.S. and partner nation forces. AL21 is a multi-domain, multi-component, and multi-national exercise, which employs a full array of mission capabilities with the goal to strengthen interoperability among participants. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Eric Coffer/Released)
Photo by: Mass Communications Specialist 2nd Class Eric Coffer
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U.S. Naval Forces Africa ships participate in Exercise African Lion
AGADIR, Morocco (JUNE 10, 2021) U.S. Army Colonel Sean Dillon, the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa public affairs officer, center, receives a tour from Capt. Michael Concannon, commanding officer, left, and Cmdr. Omari Buckley, executive officer of the Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB 4) in Agadir, Morocco, June 10, 2021. Hershel “Woody” Williams is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations in support of U.S. national interests and security in Europe and Africa. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Eric Coffer/Released)
Photo by: Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Eric Coffer
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U.S. Naval Forces Africa ships participate in exercise African Lion
AGADIR, Morocco (JUNE 11, 2021) U.S. Army Major General Andrew Rohling, U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa commander and the U.S. Army Europe and Africa deputy commanding general, participates in a tour of the Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB 4) in Agadir, Morocco, June 11, 2021 during African Lion 2021. African Lion 2021 is U.S. Africa Command’ largest, premier, joint, annual exercise hosted by Morocco, Tunisia and Senegal, 7-18 June. More than 7,000 participants from nine nations and NATO train together with a focus on enhancing readiness for U.S. and partner nation forces. AL21 is a multi-domain, multi-component, and multi-national exercise, which employs a full array of mission capabilities with the goal to strengthen interoperability among participants. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Eric Coffer/Released)
Photo by: Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Eric Coffer
U.S. Sixth Fleet ships, Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB 4), Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71), and expeditionary fast transport USNS Trenton (T-EPF-5) are participating in U.S. Africa Command’s (AFRICOM) largest and premier annual exercise African Lion, June 13, 2021.
Exercise African Lion 21, is a joint, combined exercise led by Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), and sponsored by U.S. Africa Command. In addition to U.S. forces, participants include allies and African partners from Morocco, Tunisia, and Senegal. Participants will work together to strengthen U.S. and partner nation’s capability to promote regional stability and support interoperability.
“Maritime security drives economic prosperity and it is imperative that we continue to exercise with our African partners to ensure security and stability in the region,” said Rear Adm. Benjamin Reynolds, Director of Maritime Headquarters, U.S. Naval Forces Africa. "African Lion highlights our shared commitment to protecting and navigating the waters surrounding Africa and is a premier opportunity for our combined forces to rehearse and train together to strengthen collective defense capabilities and counter transnational threats."
Exercise African Lion involves U.S. service members from all service components, including the Reserves and National Guard. It provides a critical opportunity for members of the joint team to build and test their strategic readiness to deploy, fight and win in a complex, multi-domain environment.
The maritime portion of the exercise, led by U.S. Naval Forces Africa, includes a naval gunfire exercise, multiple sea-based maneuvers, and crisis response capabilities.
“Hershel “Woody” Williams and her crew are proud to be a part of this important exercise as we do our part to help build a better recognized maritime picture and achieve improved maritime domain awareness so our partners have timely information they need to make decisions that impact safety and security,” said Michael E. Concannon, commanding officer, Hershel “Woody” Williams, Gold Crew. “I want our Moroccan and regional partners to see the capabilities of this ship and to know that we are here, as an enduring partner, committed to putting a stop to illicit activities and improving how we work together as partners to improve national and regional security, stability and economic prosperity.”
The African and Euro-Atlantic navies share myriad security interests in the Mediterranean Sea. U.S. Naval Forces Africa is committed to working alongside its Northern African and Euro Atlantic allies and partners to help improve maritime security in the Southern Mediterranean.
U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. Sixth Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied and interagency partners in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.
