Kofi Ampeah Woode
Exercise FLINTLOCK 2023 (FLINTLOCK ’23), the joint multinational Special Operation Forces (SOF) exercise designed to improve regional cooperation, increase the capacity of participating African SOF Units to deploy and redeploy, in order to conduct special operations consistent with applicable legal frameworks, hit its capstone with demonstration of swift execution of target in a scenario, by a five-nation SOF team.
Dubbed Distinguished Visitors’ Day, Tuesday 14 March 2023, which was the crescendo of FLINTLOCK ’23, had a press confab, SOF demonstration and speeches by Major General (Maj Gen) Irvine Ayittey Aryeetey – Commandant, Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC), Rear Admiral (R/Adm) Jamie Sands – Commander, Special Operations Command Africa, and Her Excellency Virginia E Palmer – US Ambassador to Ghana, as Guest-of-Honour.
The five-nation SOF team which demonstrated the exhibition of target, was composed of SOFs from Ghana Navy, Nigeria (which presented a 30-strong team for FLINTLOCK 23), la Cote d’Ivoire, Morocco and Cabo Verde.
The Commandant who represented Ghana’s Chief of the Naval Staff – R/Adm Issah Yakubu, at the event, which took place at the Sogakope Beach Resort, Volta Region of Ghana, underscored the importance of the exercise in promoting interoperability and mutual understanding among participating nations, after weeks of exhausting Battle Staff Planning and rigorous Tactical Training.
He described FLINTLOCK 23 as a coming together of multiple Special Operations Task Units (SOTU) – each with their unique strengths and capabilities – to display their readiness and ability to work together in a simulated operational environment, executing superintended causes of actions developed by the Special Operations Task Group (SOTG).
R/Adm Sands, himself a US Navy Sea, Air and Land (SEAL) person, who hosted the DV Day, and visited all sites of the exercises, termed the programs as high-quality training which provided unique training in urban, expeditionary and maritime states.
Referring to FLINTLOCK 23 as the first full FLINTLOCK since 2020 and COVID-19, Admiral Sands said “From the maritime training to the expanded headquarters and staff activities at the JMHQ and the outstations, we are coming together to set the ground work to solve the security challenges that pose threats across the region”.
The maritime site of FLINTLOCK 23, codenamed SOTG Volta, was composed of approximately 350 personnel from across 16 countries, consisting of 4 SOTUs and full primary and special staff sections.
Over the course of two weeks, SOTG Volta was trained and tested on everything from Battle Staff Operations and Staff Decision Making Processes (which were led by the International Special Training Centre), to Advanced Close Quarters Battle, Visit Board Search and Seizure Tactics, Tactical Combat Casualty Care, and Tactical Site Exploitation, and the SOTUs programs of instruction which were developed and led by the African and international partners.
Additionally, SOTG Volta was trained on the law of war, rule of law, detainee and evidence handling, and integration with host nation law enforcement agencies, which was led by African partner Ministries of Justice and law enforcement agency personnel.
Besides the hectic training, SOTG Volta conducted a dental Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) action program with Ghanaian and US dentists that provided over 1100 dental health examinations and evaluations to locals of Sogakope and nearby communities.
The United States of Africa Command (USAFRICOMM) premiere training program 2023 which had 29 African and International partners, has its origins in 1968, as a series of joint combined exchange training between the United States European Command and allied European countries, during the height of the Cold War.
In 2005, the “FLINTLOCK” series was redesigned into a single multinational training exercise with a new purpose; to address the key themes of counter terrorism, counter illicit trafficking, collective security, and partnership, in a new exercise area – Africa.
Since then, FLINTLOCK has been conducted annually under the Trans-Sahara Counter Terrorism Partnership, and has gone from a small handful of African and International partners conducting a 2-week field training exercise in 2005, to a multinational exercise comprised of 29 African and International partners, operating across 5 sites, spanning 2 countries, and conducting Command Post, Field Training, and for the first time, Maritime Training exercises.
Admiral Sands presented an artwork to honour Commodore Godwin Livinus Bessing – Flag Officer Commanding, Naval Training Command, Nutekpor, and also recognized Commander Seth Dzakpasu with a special coin, for successfully executing five high-risk target scenarios in support of Flintlock ‘23.
Other dignitaries present at the DV Day included the United Kingdom (UK) High Commissioner to Ghana – Her Excellency Harriet Thompson, General Officer Commanding 6th UK Division – Maj Gen Gerald Strickland, Generals and Admirals from militaries participating in the exercise, the Commanding Officer, Naval Base, Nutekpor – Commander Kwasi Nyampong, Senior Officers, Officers and Ratings.
By Kofi Ampeah-Woode
