U.S. Navy exercises off Ghana coast

TAKORADI, Ghana, Oct. 5 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy, patrol crafts from Ghana and a South African frigate participated in a visit, board, search and seizure exercise off Ghana's coast.

The USS Doyle, a recently commissioned South African frigate SAS Mendi and four Ghanaian patrol crafts are all participating in VBSS exercises and maritime interdiction operation exercise off the coast of Takoradi, Ghana, according to U.S. Naval Forces Europe.

"The VBSS exercise in particular provided the Ghanaian participants a real-time opportunity to display their level of proficiency they had previously practiced in port and underway with Doyle crew members," said Capt. John Nowell, commodore, Destroyer Squadron 60, in a statement. "They performed extremely well."

Officials say Doyle is deployed to the region in an effort to improve maritime security and safety in West and Central Africa and help strengthen regional partnerships.

Each ship exchanged some officers and crew members with the other ships involved. The exercise included divisional tactics, small boat operations and rescue and assistance scenarios, along with the VBSS team exercise.

"The rescue and assistance provided useful knowledge to the South African navy as they are in the process of establishing procedures for their repair locker teams while the Ghanaian sailors were able to apply skills they had learned while working with Doyle during an in port engagement," said Nowell.