U.S. and Ghanaian maritime forces completed Africa Maritime Law Enforcement Partnership (AMLEP) 2015 operations Feb. 24.
The Military Sealift Command joint high-speed vessel USNS Spearhead (JHSV 1) and an embarked combined law enforcement detachment (LEDET), working in tandem with Ghanaian navy’s Western Naval Command Maritime Operations Center (MOC) and patrol vessels, were able to detect three vessels that were violating Ghanaian maritime law and cite them for follow-on judicial action.
Maritime law enforcement violations cited included: no automatic identification system (AIS), no license, AIS not transmitting, no boarding ladder, not registered to fish in Ghanaian waters, and insufficient number of Ghanaian crewmembers aboard to be fishing in Ghanaian waters.
Spearhead and embarked combined LEDET patrolled in designated areas in the vicinity of Takoradi, Ghana. Ghana surface units that supported the operation included GNS Blika (P34) and GNS Chemle (P36).
This is the second year that the U.S. and Ghana have partnered together for AMLEP operations.
The combined Ghana-U.S. efforts are another example of the Global Network of Navies-improves interoperability between both nations and helps deter illicit activity that threatens freedom and security in the global commons.
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Image: US Navy