The Pentagon’s third “Africa Partnership Station” — a periodic naval deployment aimed at delivering humanitarian, engineering and training aid to West Africa — will emphasize military training over “softer” humanitarian assistance. The USS Nashville (pictured), a small-deck amphibious ship, in 2009 will pay visits to Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon and Gabon to “give lessons in basic seamanship, small boat handling, VBSS (visit, board, search and seizure) techniques, search and rescue, data management and how to run an operations centre,” according to Jane’s.
The Africa Partnership Station is a version of what the Navy calls a “Global Fleet Station,” aka a small forward operating base at sea. Global Fleet Stations are a major vehicle for the Pentagon’s emerging “soft power” strategy, but as Nashville proves, these stations can do “harder” stuff, too.
So far APS is the only Global Fleet Station, but Navy plans call for standing up four more GFS in coming years in “southwest and southeast Asia, Central America [and] the Caribbean Basin,” according to Defense News. The USS Kearsarge‘s current humanitarian cruise in Latin America can be reckoned a prototype for the Central American and Caribbean Fleet Stations.
The Navy wants up to boost its amphibious fleet from 32 to 42, in part to support the Fleet Stations.
(Photo: Navy)
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[...] -David Axe nos cuenta que ya est en preparacin la edicin del prximo ao del Africa Partnership Station. Estamos atentos a lo que se cuece en el Flanco Sur Profundo aparte de la Infantera de Marina espaola? [...]
[...] In late March, I’ll be heading to Nigeria to embark aboard the USS Nashville amphibious ship during her “soft-power” deployment on the West African coast. Nashville’s cruise is part of the Navy’s Africa Partnership Station, which in turn is one of three ongoing “Global Fleet Stations,” the other two targeting Latin America (pictured) and Asia. The Global Fleet Stations are frameworks for sending mixed teams of military trainers and humanitarians to developing countries to help build alliances and improve security. Think of it as ground-level diplomacy with a military edge, or war-prevention way, way in advance of any conflict. Nashville sits at a nexus of some of the most important trends in U.S. naval power: littoral operations, soft power and a renewed focus on developing countries. This is important stuff, folks. [...]
[...] The Global Fleet Station is one of the most important new concepts in the U.S. military. Global Fleet Stations comprise U.S. Navy and Coast Guard ships and flying squadrons deploying singly on “soft-power” missions in developing countries, delivering vital training and humanitarian aid in a bid to build lasting alliances. [...]