US and allies conduct anti-piracy exercise in the Gulf of Guinea
Nigerian, Spanish, Ghanaian, and US Navies flex their muscles in the GoG.
As part of its commitment to maritime security in West Africa, the US Navy has taken part in a joint anti-piracy exercise in the Gulf of Guinea in support of Nigeria’s Deep Blue Project.
The three-day exercise consisted of maritime interdiction operations, visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) exercises, fleet manoeuvring, helicopter insertion and casualty evacuations.
Participating vessels included the USS Hershel “Woody” Williams, Nigerian Navy’s ships NNS Prosperity, Nguru, Ekulu, Osun, Ose, and the Spanish Navy ship SPS Vigia and a detachment from the Ghanaian SBS.
“The exercises we conducted this week show our commitment to the mutual goal of countering maritime crimes in the Gulf of Guinea, and how we can work together to achieve it,” said Capt. Chad Graham, commanding officer, USS Hershel “Woody” Williams.
“These maritime training operations required the collaboration of not one, but three countries’ navies, all working together simultaneously,” he said.
