Further consolidation of East African maritime co-operation wrapped up with the second Exercise Usalama Baharini in Kenyan waters last week.
The four-day exercise, held from 17 to 20 November with the European Union (EU) naval task force, Operation Atalanta, came in the wake of a successful multi-agency operation off Mombasa at the end of October that netted a thousand plus kilogrammes of methamphetamine.
The first Usalama Baharini – “safety at sea” in Swahili – was in May 2024 with the Kenyan Navy and Atalanta elements again exercising jointly seven months later, but not under the Usalama Baharini banner.
This year’s Usalama Baharini aimed to enhance interoperability, strengthen operational readiness and bolster joint capabilities in addressing emerging maritime threats in the western Indian Ocean, a region critical for global trade and maritime stability, according to the Kenyan Defence Ministry. Atalanta went further with a statement noting the exercise would strengthen regional collaboration, boost maritime security and enhance capabilities of national, international and institutional actors involved in safeguarding the western Indian Ocean.
Apart from its at sea components, the Usalama Baharini programme included conferences, legal seminars and training sessions. The conferences were devoted to rules of engagement (RoE) in maritime interdiction operations and the legal aspects of counter-narcotics operations. Seminar topics included human rights, law enforcement at sea as well as illegal unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing with specialist input from Interpol and Kenya Fisheries personnel.
The lecture room component of the exercise wrapped up with a counter-piracy seminar led by Kenya Navy officers. Among topics presented were high seas jurisdiction, maritime interdiction operations and the use of force by Combined Maritime Forces – Task Force (CMF – TF) 151.
The tactical component started with planning a visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) operation and checklist conference briefed by an ESPS Victoria (F82) boarding party. Theory in escalation of force, behavioural, cues and tactical communication followed by documentation checks along with inter-agency and communication procedures were also on the agenda. Practical drills in compliant approach and boarding scenarios were exercised.
The non-compliant approach was dealt with by an Atalanta special operations team briefed in a planning briefing followed by drills in non-compliant boarding scenarios, restraint detainee handling, tactical entry and ship movement techniques. Practical tactical high speed manoeuvres and approaches with high-speed boats were completed the hands-on component.
The practical part of the exercise saw participants putting into practice knowledge acquired during lectures and training. A scenario involved a pirate mother ship carrying narcotics along with skiffs used to board civilian vessels was used.
The final day of Usalama Baharini saw what an Operation Atalanta statement termed “a joint activity” at sea. This took place with the current EU naval task force flagship ESPS Victoria and KNS (Kenya Navy Ship) Shupavu (P6130).
