Brazilian warship docks at Walvis Bay
OTIS FINCK
The public was afforded an opportunity to get a taste of life on board the Brazilian Navy’s offshore patrol vessel BNS Apa (P121) in the port of Walvis Bay over the weekend.
The vessel, which is classified as a light corvette, departed from the naval base of Rio de Janeiro on 20 February and arrived in Walvis Bay on 3 March to participate in the ‘Obangame Express 2017’ exercise involving military personnel from Africa, Europe and America.
BNS Apa (P121) will carry out exercises off the coast of Angola, the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo during the annual naval operation.
It will also visit the ports of São Tome, Luanda, Douala, Accra and Dakar during the exercise, which serves to train African countries in the protection of the Gulf of Guinea and to enable participating countries to provide maritime security against piracy, drugs and arms trafficking, hijacking, illegal fishing and other illicit activities in the region.
Twelve military personnel from several navies, including two officers from the Namibian Navy, will be on board in order to compare procedures during the operation from 20 to 31 March.
Maritime interdiction operations, approach techniques and medical, meteorological and weapons training will take place with the boarding team of the participating African countries as part of the exercise.
The BNS Apa has an 80-man crew plus accommodation for 40 troops. The vessel is designed to perform a range of special operations and maritime law enforcement tasks. Its firepower consists of one 30mm cannon, two 25mm cannons and two 12.7mm machine guns.
The public was afforded an opportunity to get a taste of life on board the Brazilian Navy’s offshore patrol vessel BNS Apa (P121) in the port of Walvis Bay over the weekend.
The vessel, which is classified as a light corvette, departed from the naval base of Rio de Janeiro on 20 February and arrived in Walvis Bay on 3 March to participate in the ‘Obangame Express 2017’ exercise involving military personnel from Africa, Europe and America.
BNS Apa (P121) will carry out exercises off the coast of Angola, the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo during the annual naval operation.
It will also visit the ports of São Tome, Luanda, Douala, Accra and Dakar during the exercise, which serves to train African countries in the protection of the Gulf of Guinea and to enable participating countries to provide maritime security against piracy, drugs and arms trafficking, hijacking, illegal fishing and other illicit activities in the region.
Twelve military personnel from several navies, including two officers from the Namibian Navy, will be on board in order to compare procedures during the operation from 20 to 31 March.
Maritime interdiction operations, approach techniques and medical, meteorological and weapons training will take place with the boarding team of the participating African countries as part of the exercise.
The BNS Apa has an 80-man crew plus accommodation for 40 troops. The vessel is designed to perform a range of special operations and maritime law enforcement tasks. Its firepower consists of one 30mm cannon, two 25mm cannons and two 12.7mm machine guns.
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