U.S. Destroyer Holds Joint Exercise With South African Navy Special

An advanced U.S. Navy warship, the USS Arleigh Burke, has begun a series of joint manoeuvres with the South African Navy off the South African coastline. The Arleigh Burke heads up the U.S. military’s Africa Partnership Station program.

The USS Arleigh Burke was the first of the guided missile destroyer class named after it. It uses an advanced “Aegis” integrated computer system that allows the ship to defend against missiles and enemy aircraft, and also to attack them or other ships. It also has maritime stealth technology, making it more difficult to hit and a reinforced hull structure. The ship is based in Norfolk, Virginia, and is now heading up the African Partnership Station (APS) program, which is designed to help African navies protect their own coastlines against threats like human trafficking or piracy. Arleigh Burke recently visited Djibouti and Kenya and did joint training with the Kenyan navy. It arrived in Durban on Monday and is now on its way to Simon’s Town, the South African Navy’s (SAN) main base. The U.S. Navy (USN) destroyer is to visit the Indian Ocean Island of Mauritius and the East African nation of Tanzania in the coming months. Last weekend, the SAN sent three ships to Durban to host a Captains of Industry visit. Digital Journal covered that visit and learned that the three ships, the frigates SAS Amatola, SAS Mendi and the Warrior class strike craft, SAS Galeshewe, were to accompany the U.S. destroyer.

Christopher Szabo

The Frigate SAS Mendi In Durban Harbour

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A spokesman for the SAN, senior Warrant Officer Manny Gounden, told Digital Journal the four ships would be involved in a “Passage Exercise, which we call ‘Passex:”

It’s about interoperability. That means when you have navies from different countries, you do things differently, so interoperability means you (find ways of) working together.

In a telephone interview, Gounden explained more about “interoperability.” He said:

This refers to radio communications, navigation, station watch keeping, and so on. Station watch keeping is like when two cars are following each other, keeping the right distance.

An SA Navy report said USN Captain James Tranoris, Commander of Task Force 363, told a media conference in Durban about the Passage Exercise:

It not only enhances the professional element of each of our navies’ ability to work with one another for a safer maritime domain, but renews the strong ties of partnerships we have with South Africa.

The Passage Exercise was a reference to the US Navy ship’s passage around South Africa’s east coast.

Wikipedia Commons/US Navy

Admiral Arleigh Burke

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The USS Arleigh Burke is named after Admiral Arleigh Burke, who commanded a number of destroyer squadrons in WWII, and later served three terms as Chief of Naval Operations (CNO.) A highly decorated sailor, he received the rare honour of having a ship named after him while still alive. He died at the age of 94.