High-Speed Vessel Swift (HSV 2) arrived in Dar Es Salaam June 23 for a port visit supporting Africa Partnership Station (APS) East 2012.
During the visit, embarked Sailors and Marines will facilitate port security training, martial arts and riot control, training and will participate in community service projects and host a reception on board.
Swift arrived in Tanzania after spending two weeks supporting APS at two stops in Maputo and Nacala, Mozambique. This is not the ship’s first visit to Tanzania, as Swift hosted Tanzanian President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete and more than 130 sailors from Tanzania’s navy in January 2010.
“ This marks our eleventh stop in Africa, I’m really proud of the deployment we were able to put together, we spent a lot of time helping to plan this out as early as last fall, ” said Lt. Cmdr. Charles Eaton, Swift’s military detachment officer in charge. “Just a small amount of the crew was here last time, but for everyone involved in the training and community events, it’s what this ship really excels at and we’re proud to show off what’s special about this ship.”
Swift will also offload humanitarian aid supplies that were donated through Project Handclasp. Project Handclasp is a U.S. Navy program that accepts and transports educational, humanitarian and goodwill materials donated by the private sector in a space-available basis aboard navy ships for distribution to foreign nations. The items to be offloaded include wheelchairs and other medical supplies as well as books.
APS is an international security cooperation initiative, facilitated by Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, aimed at strengthening global maritime partnerships through training and collaborative activities in order to improve maritime safety and security in Africa.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, June 27, 2012; Image: US Navy