The Chief of Naval Staff, CNS, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo has flagged off ‘Exercise Quiet Waters’ as part of strategies to boost the operational efficiency of personnel of the Nigerian Navy.
Vice Admiral Gambo, who flagged off the exercise on Board NNS (Nigerian Navy Ship) Okpabana said the training, which is the CNS Annual Sea Inspection for 2021, was aimed at assessing the operational readiness of the Nigerian Navy fleet.
Maritime obligations
Gambo hinted that one of his priorities as CNS was to improve operational efficiency and boost personnel capacity to meet constitutional maritime obligations.
According to the Special Guest of Honour, “this year’s inspection provides a platform for operational review that seeks to firmly orient Nigerian navy training objectives with the delivery of operational capabilities in line with my vision, mission statement and strategic directives.”
Vice Admiral Gambo noted that the exercise would further reinforce achievements recorded in stemming the tide of maritime criminalities along the nation’s waterways, saying “the inspection comes against the backdrop of the remarkable strides attained with the significant reduction in piracy and sea robbery within our environment and the need to sustain the strategic momentum, which is critical to our economic prosperity and regional stability.”
The CNS remarked that the exercise was an opportunity to test the new platforms and indigenously built NNS OJI recently commissioned and inducted by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari.
He commended the Flag Officers Commanding, FOCs, other officers and ratings for the zeal and determination to rid the nation’s maritime environment of all forms of criminality.
“I urge you all to be encouraged that our collective effort is yielding the desired result. Be assured that the naval headquarters will continue to encourage and support you,” he further assured.
Exercise composition
Earlier, the Flag Officer Commanding the Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral Sanusi Ibrahim said exercise was an opportunity for the CNS to assess the operational readiness and responsiveness of the fleet to dynamic threats in the nation’s maritime domain.
Rear Admiral Ibrahim, who doubled as the Officer exercising Operational Control, hinted that fleet assets from 3 operations commands, the air arm, the special boat service, and operational shore bases including forward operating bases and naval security stations were involved in ‘Exercise Quiet Waters’.
Ibrahim stated, “10 ships, 2 helicopters, elements of the navy Special Boat Service and the navy MDA centres will participate. The fleet will conduct several exercises ranging from Anti-Piracy Operations, Protection of Offshore Oil and Gas facilities, Fleet Maneuvers as well as Communication and Gunnery exercises.”
The FOC further said, “the fleet will also carry out maritime interdiction operations such as Vessel Board Search and Seizure, Opposed Boarding as well as Search and Rescue; while the shore bases would conduct supporting clearance operations and surgical raids on criminal elements camps and hideouts; associated operations to curtail the activities of pirates/sea robbers, oil thieves, pipeline vandals and illegal bunkerers.”
On the achievements of naval operations, he said that the International Maritime Bureau, IMB, report indicated a significant reduction in pirate attacks on Nigerian waters from 41 in 2018 to 17 in 2020 and 4 in the 3rd quarter of 2021.
He expressed the resolve of naval personnel to work assiduously and collaborate with relevant maritime security stakeholders to reinforce the quest for safe, conducive and secure maritime domain.
Nnenna.O
