The Military Sealift Command’s joint high-speed vessel USNS Spearhead (JHSV 1) and its embarked crew of U.S. Navy Sailors and civil service mariners arrived in Dakar, Senegal to begin their 10-day participation in Exercise Saharan Express 2015, April 17, 2015.
Saharan Express, one of Africa Partnership Station’s premier Express-series events is a U.S. Africa Command-sponsored multinational maritime exercise designed to increase maritime safety and security in the waters off West Africa.
Spearhead will function as a training platform for maritime forces during Saharan Express as well as embarking local African media personnel from various outlets and exercise assessors that will capture exercise feedback in real time.
The at-sea phase of Saharan Express will take place in two separate operating areas, off the coasts of Cabo Verde and Senegal, respectively.
A total of nine ships and four maritime patrol aircraft from participating countries will take part in various phases of the exercise.
Participating nations in Saharan Express 2015 include Cabo Verde, France, Mauritania, Morocco, Portugal, Senegal, Spain, Turkey, and the United States.
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Image: US Navy