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Africa Partnership Station Arrives in East Africa
Story Number: NNS090209-03
Release Date: 2/9/2009 11:10:00 AM
By Lt. Patrick Foughty, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Africa Public Affairs
MAPUTO, Mozambique (NNS) -- The director of Policy, Resources and Strategy for U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa, spoke with media Feb. 7 to discuss Africa Partnership Station (APS) coming to East Africa for the first time.
Rear Adm. William Loeffler arrived in conjunction with the visit of USS Robert G. Bradley (FFG 49) as the ship is in port conducting partner building activities such as maritime training, community relations projects and cultural exchange activities.
"We have commenced the first APS visit on the east coast of Africa with the visit of the USS Robert G. Bradley," said Loeffler, "our efforts here are to help improve maritime safety and security in Mozambique [and East Africa]."
APS began in October 2007 when with the deployment of USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43) to West Africa and the Gulf of Guinea. The program has since become an enduring mission with multiple U.S. and partner-nation ships, aircraft and personnel involved almost continuously.
"Africa Partnership Station is about sustained engagement, which is why USS Robert G. Bradley began its [APS] mission in West Africa in November, and is now the first U.S. warship to tie up pier-side in Maputo and the first time APS has expanded beyond West and Central Africa," said Loeffler, "this is also the first visit of a U.S. naval admiral in recent history, which is an indication of how important we view our Naval relationship with Mozambique."
While in port, Bradley will conduct small boat operations and maintenance training, as well as visit, board, search and seizure training.
"After USS Robert G. Bradley departs Maputo it will continue its APS engagements along the East Coast of Africa, stopping in Djibouti, Kenya and Tanzania," said Loeffler, "the ship will also embark naval personnel from Kenya, Mozambique and Tanzania to ride the ship as it transits along the East Coast."
Embarked Sailors will have opportunities to participate in various training events and routine ship operations.
Loeffler emphasized the scale of the program by describing how amphibious landing ship USS Nashville (LPD 13) is also part of the APS mission and is in Dakar, Senegal this week. Nashville includes a large international staff and will visit Cameroon, Gabon, Ghana and Nigeria over the next four months to conduct similar training engagements.
Loeffler also spoke about the U.S. Navy's national maritime strategy, the Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower and how a key aspect of that strategy is global maritime partnerships.
"International cooperative [maritime] security engagements are performed throughout the world, we have similar partnership initiatives in the Pacific, South America and the Black Sea" said Loeffler.
He explained that APS is currently led by the U.S. Navy, in conjunction with international partners from Africa, Europe and South America.
"We will only be able to achieve a safe and secure maritime environment by working to build partnerships now. Programs like APS help to build trust and cooperation among all participating nations as well as build positive relationships that will last for years to come," said Loeffler.
For more news from Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Africa, visit www.navy.mil/local/naveur/.
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