Phoenix Express is an exercise sponsored by U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM), and conducted by Naval Forces Africa (NAVAF) to assess and improve maritime law enforcement capacity, promote national and regional security in northerneastern Africa, inform planning and operations, and shape security force assistance efforts.

PE19, hosted by Morocco, will be conducted by NAVAF, North African partners and Western partner nations to assess and improve maritime interoperability, promote national and regional security, inform planning and operations, and improve U.S. military capabilities.

PE19 North African partners include Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt.  These countries lead planning and execution of training scenarios that include interdicting illicit activity (trafficking of arms, drugs, money, natural resources, WMD materials, and people) and provide vessels, teams, and leadership to enable a combined maritime operations center (CMOC) and surface action group (SAG.) 

The exercise is conducted in the western Mediterranean sea, with operations held off the coast of North Africa.