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News
NEWS | Feb. 13, 2022

Cutlass Express 2022 Q&A with Capt. Cameron Chen

By U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa/ U.S. Sixth Fleet Public Affairs

Q: What do exercises like Cutlass Express and International Maritime Exercise (IMX) provide for our country and partner nations?

A: Cutlass Express this year is combined with International Maritime Exercise and provides us the opportunity to practice our interoperability and increase our proficiency in executing maritime security operations.

 

Q: Why is it essential to involve so many different nations in these large-scale maritime exercises?

A: It is important to work with our international partners, who have the best situational awareness and ability to enforce the necessary rules to provide security for maritime trade.

 

Q: Can you break down the importance of the Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) training and what they can provide?

A: As we look to the future, we incorporate new technologies to help us increase our capacity to understand our environment. A big part of that is providing maritime security is about having a better picture of the activity and then sharing that information. Having technology that enables that is critical to creating a more secure environment for all our partners in this region.

 

Q: What key accomplishments does Cutlass Express bring to the relationship between U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa and partner forces?

A: The most important thing that we can accomplish is building trust and relationships. Having all the different international liaison officers come together to train and practice is the foundation for security in the region. We are increasing the proficiency with the vessel visit, board, search, and seizure operations and the command-and-control systems that we are using to share information between operation centers. We coordinate efforts and ensure that we can work together to tackle the challenges.