NAPLES, Italy –
Representatives from multiple North African countries participated in a tabletop exercise (TTX) in support of exercise Phoenix Express 2024, a U.S. Naval Forces Africa (NAVAF)-hosted exercise focusing on North Africa and the Mediterranean Sea, Feb. 12-15, 2024.
Starting on Feb. 12, the TTX involved leaders from Italy, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia, and the United States, and incorporated briefings and discussions on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), maritime operations center (MOC) training, SeaVision, and a tour of NAVAF’s MOC located onboard Naval Support Activity Naples. Rear Adm. Calvin Foster, U.S. Sixth Fleet’s Vice Commander and Director, Maritime Partnership Program, delivered opening and closing remarks during the exercise, while leading various focused discussions throughout the week.
"We are grateful to our partners for continuing to invest in maritime security. This tabletop exercise brought significant ideas for cooperation in the Mediterranean and shared insight into maritime operations in the region," said Foster. "Exercise Phoenix Express remains a key avenue of collaboration. We share the collective vision of the maritime domain for awareness of any illegal activity while synchronizing our collective actions across countries to eliminate any threats. This exercise is continuing to deliver partnerships of trust!"
In addition to WPS and MOC training, participants discussed maritime domain awareness, regional maritime security, and multinational cooperation. The TTX enabled a shared understanding of partner intentions for future Phoenix Express iterations, as participating nations continue to build realistic and relevant training scenarios, from countering illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, national command center integration, and maritime coordination in the Southern Mediterranean Sea.
Exercise Phoenix Express is a multinational maritime exercise sponsored by U.S. Africa Command and executed by NAVAF, bringing together North African, European, and U.S. maritime forces as part of a global network of navies to enhance cooperation and expertise in maritime security operations in the Southern Mediterranean Sea.
The exercise focuses on regional cooperation, information-sharing practices, and operational capabilities, enhancing efforts to promote safety and security in the Mediterranean Sea and territorial waters of participating North African nations.
For over 80 years, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-U.S. Naval Forces Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) has forged strategic relationships with allies and partners, leveraging a foundation of shared values to preserve security and stability.
Headquartered in Naples, Italy, NAVEUR-NAVAF operates U.S. naval forces in the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) areas of responsibility. U.S. Sixth Fleet is permanently assigned to NAVEUR-NAVAF, and employs maritime forces through the full spectrum of joint and naval operations.