Major naval exercise off Ghana against piracy

(B2) A naval exercise was organized for nine days, at the end of October, in the Gulf of Guinea bringing together around fifteen vessels, including the French BPC Mistral, the British supply tanker Gold Rover and the Spanish patrol vessel Centinela and several ships from the region. (Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo).

This exercise, says NEMO (Navy's exercise for maritime operations), was organized in several sequences, carried out in conjunction with the regional intervention centres. This also made it possible to test the coordination between the various coastal navies in this operation to secure maritime spaces. A fundamental point according to what a European maritime safety expert told B2. Because pirates move quickly from the high seas or from one territorial water to another, preventing any pursuit.

NEMO started off Ghana on October 27. And the following days, several exercises took place according to scenarios to illustrate what is called "State action at sea". Vessels suspected of illegal actions (illegal fishing, dubious cargo, piracy) are spotted by patrol boats sailing in the area. The information collected is shared with the regional centers. And an interception operation is organized. The order was then given to stop the monitored vessel and then to board in order to carry out an inspection of the cargoes and the crew members. Man overboard maneuvers or fire outbreaks were also simulated in order to get as close as possible to reality.

The exercise culminated on October 30, 2015, with joint action and interaction between the BPC Mistral, its escort the Spanish patrol boat Sentinel, the British oil tanker Gold Rover, the Nigerian corvette centennial and the Beninese patrol boat Oueme. A Danish officer, a Spanish officer and three Cameroonian shift supervisors were thus present on board the BPC Mistral. to discuss and work with French sailors ” we say to the French Navy.

(NGV)

Read also: The BPC Mistral on patrol with the Centinela in the Gulf of Guinea