The Ghana Navy is to receive more defender-class-patrol boats from the United States under the African Partnership Station (APS) wing of United States Africa Command (Africom).
The first of such support was given to the Ghana Navy by the US government in 2008 when three of such boats were handed over to the Western Naval Command in Sekondi.
General William Ward, who made this known in an interview with journalist in Stuttgart, Germany, said Africom would offer assistance to the government of Ghana to enable her defend her territory waters.
He said the Defender class boats to Ghana was part of the vision of Africom to ensure that Ghana could take control of its own security and stability,
“We want to be a partner in that endeavor because if Ghana is able to protect its territorial waters, to safeguard its borders, that in itself contributes to a more stable region, a more stable continent, a more stable world,” he said.
He expressed the hope that the Defender-class patrol boats would help Ghana to deal with illegal fishing, illegal trafficking and other illegalities that could disrupt a society.
Controlling illegal trafficking, drugs, weapons, he said was what Africom wants to address by partnering other countries.
He added that “the central part ofour mission is our ability or desire to work with nations of Africa as partners and provide a level of sustained security engagement at an acceptable pace.”
Gen Ward said the mission in Africa was not about Africa’s resources or to compete with China but rather seeks to foster a common goal of a stable Africa that would drive development.
A visit to the Western Naval Command indicated that the first defender class boats given to Ghana had contributed immensely to the work of the Ghana Navy.
The boats were used in arrest of some vessels fishing within restricted areas and for other services to ensure that illegalities were contained.
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