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Obangame Express 21 Exercise

Service members from the Ghanaian special forces provide cover while approaching a vessel during a boarding exercise as part of Obangame Express 2021, March 17, 2021. Obangame Express, conducted by U.S. Naval Forces Africa, is an at-sea maritime exercise designed to improve cooperation among participating nations in order to increase maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Guinea and West Africa coastal regions.

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Photo by: Petty Officer 1st Class Fred Gra 

Exercise Obangame Express 2023, the largest multinational maritime exercise in Western and Central Africa, will kick off its 12th year with 29 participating nations at an opening ceremony in Lagos, Nigeria, on Jan. 23, 2023.

"Exercise Obangame Express 23 provides an excellent opportunity to strengthen regional cooperation and share tactics, techniques and procedures for deterring transnational maritime security challenges,” said Rear Adm. Chase Patrick, director of maritime headquarters, NAVAF. “Together, we are creating a more secure, safe, and economically prosperous maritime environment for Africa’s coastal nations and the global community."

Conducted by U.S. Naval Forces Africa and sponsored by U.S. Africa Command, OE23 is designed to improve regional cooperation, information-sharing practices, and tactical interdiction expertise to enhance the collective capabilities of participating nations to counter Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing and other sea-based illicit activity.

Nigeria will host this year’s exercise in its capital city of Lagos. The exercise will also features multiple at sea and ashore training events throughout the Gulf of Guinea and the Southern Atlantic Ocean, including exchanges on boarding techniques, search and rescue operations, medical casualty response, radio communication, and information management techniques.

U.S. Africa Command assists African partners with protecting their maritime economy in order to ensure continued sustainable use of maritime resources and enable the security and stability of global maritime trade.  NAVAF’s ongoing maritime security cooperation with African partners focuses on maritime safety and security through increased maritime awareness, response capabilities, and infrastructure to address shared transnational maritime concerns .

The 29 nations scheduled to participate in OE23 include Angola, Benin, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Canada, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Italy, Liberia, Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands, Nigeria, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Congo, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, and the United States. Also participating will be the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).