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North African, European, and U.S. forces participated in Exercise Phoenix Express 2024, a multinational maritime security exercise organized by the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM). More than 1,500 military personnel and observers participated in this year’s exercise which was held from November 4 to 15, 2024.

The exercise started in Tunisia and took place in the Southern Mediterranean Sea. It involved a dozen warships and naval personnel from 12 nations, including Algeria, Belgium, Georgia, Italy, Libya, Malta, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia, Türkiye, Senegal, and the United States.

The exercise was sponsored by the U.S. Africa Command and executed by the Commander of the U.S. 6th Fleet. It demonstrated high-level capabilities, split between land-based and sea-based phases, featuring the use of maritime operations centers and a multinational coordination center to enhance information-sharing practices among participants, as well as exercises in ship-boarding, and search and rescue drills.

This year marks the 19th iteration of Phoenix Express, a 10-day exercise that focused on strengthening regional collaboration. The exercise aimed to enhance maritime domain awareness, improve information-sharing protocols, and refine tactical interdiction skills. These efforts are designed to build the collective capacity of participating nations to effectively address maritime security threats and combat illicit activities at sea.

🇹🇳🇺🇸 From Tuesday to mid-November, Tunisia will host the Phoenix Express 2024 naval exercise, which will involve about 1,100 military personnel and observers from…
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The exercise included land and sea-based phases focusing on tactical training. During the second phase, the participating forces assessed the capabilities of vessels and maritime operations centers in executing maritime security missions. These activities included ship boarding procedures, airborne maritime patrols, and search and rescue operations.

U.S. exercise director for Phoenix Express, Capt. Harish Patel highlighted, “The second week of Phoenix Express is our opportunity to put into practice everything that was learned during the first week of the exercise. This phase is critical to this exercise as it provides an opportunity for U.S. and participating nations’ ships to enhance their ship to shore communications across multinational MOCs.”

The participating forces also tested unmanned systems to explore advanced strategies in regional maritime security. This collaborative effort underscored longstanding U.S.-Tunisia security cooperation, with both countries working alongside other partners to strengthen safety and stability in North Africa and the Mediterranean.

According to the U.S. Navy statement, the exercise involved several ships including, Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary sea base USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB-4), Moroccan Frigate Sigma Class Sultan Moulay Ismail (614), Italian Navy Cassiopea-class patrol vessel OPV Spica (P403), Italian Coast Guard Fiorillo (CP 904), Libya Landing Tank Ship Ibn Ouf (132), Algerian Multipurpose Corvette El Faith (921), Tunisian Opv Jugartha (P610), Tunisian Opv PLM La Galite (501), and Turkish Barbaros Class Frigate TCG Salihreis (F 246).

Vice Commander of the U.S. 6th Fleet, Rear Admiral Jason Naidyhorski said, “The quality and level of skill the Phoenix Express participants bring to our collective maritime capabilities in the Southern Mediterranean Sea is unparalleled.”

He further noted that “Year after year, nations throughout Europe and Africa return to this exercise to build on already strong partnerships, with a shared goal of reinforcing a safe and secure North Africa, and Mediterranean. The type of training we see here has evolved with each iteration, and this year is no exception.”

According to the U.S. Navy statement, the individual events throughout the exercise provided North African, European, and U.S. maritime forces the opportunity to work together, share information, and refine tactics, techniques, and procedures to promote maritime safety and security in the region.

Exercise Phoenix Express is one of three regional maritime exercises led by U.S. Naval Forces Africa as part of a broader strategy to create collaborative opportunities for African nations and international partners to address maritime security challenges effectively.

The exercise aims to strengthen maritime safety and security in the Mediterranean Sea while enhancing the collective ability to deter illicit activities. Additionally, it serves as a platform to safeguard NATO’s and Europe’s southern flank against malign influences and threats.