Vice Admiral Harry B. Harris Jr., commander of U.S. 6th Fleet, arrived in Luanda, Angola, July 9, 2011, to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Angolan Navy during a five-day visit to Africa.

The ceremony commemorated the Angolan Navy's 35 years of service and was followed by an anti-terrorism demonstration that displayed the Navy's prowess at protecting its borders from the air, land, and sea.

"During the [civil] war years [1976-2003], the focus was on the land and in the air," said Vice Admiral Mendes Caravalho, Angolan Minister of Defense foreign liaison officer. "Now the focus is on security at sea."

With the new focus on securing the increasingly important maritime environment, Harris explained the importance of strengthening the bonds between the two maritime countries.

"We are concerned about the security in the Gulf of Guinea and the South Atlantic, and we are working with the Angolan Navy to strengthen that security in this vital region of the world," Harris said. "We have many shared interests with the Angolan Navy and hope to strengthen our partnership in the near future."

The Angolan Navy is also looking to strengthen ties and increase opportunities with the U.S. Navy.

"We are transforming our navy from a wartime to a peaceful navy," explained Rear Admiral Caetano Neto, director for maintenance and logistics for the Angolan Navy. "Now we are focusing on the emerging challenges of piracy and security in the maritime environment."

Harris commented on the willingness of the U.S. Navy and more directly, U.S. 6th Fleet to see this partnership grow.

"I look forward to helping build this important relationship with the Angolan Navy," Harris said after the ceremony. "As a strategic partner with the U.S., there are many areas were we can work together in the future."