Wednesday, July 10, 2019

An Enduring Presence in African Waters?

The United States Navy is putting assets in the Gulf of Guinea:

The U.S. Navy has dispatched a second ship, the USNS Carson City, this year to the Gulf of Guinea on West Africa's southern coast to help deal with security needs, including piracy.

The Military Sealift Command Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport ship departed Rota, Spain, on Tuesday, the U.S. Navy said in a news release.

A Coast Guard ship was the first in 2019.

The Gulf of Guinea was one place I thought The AFRICOM Queen modularized auxiliary cruiser (in Military Review) could be useful as a power projection platform in the absence of high-end Navy assets.

Although by deploying a Coast Guard ship and an expeditionary fast transport, the Navy is managing that. For now, anyway. My suggestion could remain on station, longer and adapt for new missions.

As I've said, I think the unofficial motto of AFRICOM is "Thank God for SOUTHCOM."