Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Shelby Robinson | U.S. and partner nations Naval Cooperation and Guidance for Shipping (NCAGS) personnel...... read more read more
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Naval Cooperation and Guidance for Shipping (NCAGS) personnel from partner nations embedded with shipping coordination teams to advise on freedom of navigation through contested waters scenarios and provide mission guidance to the combined forces maritime component commander during Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2024. Partner nation representatives from the United States, Australian, Belgian, Canadian, Dutch, French, German, Japan and New Zealand were present.
“As maritime nations our economies, prosperity and wellbeing are reliant on maritime trade and freedom of navigation,” said New Zealand Capt. Phillip O’Connell, an NCAGS officer. “As the largest maritime exercise, RIMPAC is a vital enabler that brings together international personnel who are the interface between partner navies and the maritime industry participants critical to maintaining global maritime trade, sea lanes of communication, port and cargo operations.”
Dutch Navy Master Chief Fred Van Zelm embarked underway aboard cargo ship Marjorie C, a civilian combined car carrier container ship, en route to the west coast of the United States to exercise interoperability, secure communications, and partnership between NCAGS with the civil shipping industry.
“Van Zelm’s NCAGS experience increased our operability as a team aboard Marjorie C,” said U.S. Navy Strategic Sealift Officer Lt. Liam Hood, also embarked aboard Marjorie C. “NCAGS not only operates as a multinational force but assures the shipping industry of a globally-enhanced security posture capable of keeping sea lines of communication open for merchant vessels.”
The expeditionary shipping coordination center engaged with Hawai’i department of transportation harbors division officials and embarked personnel on shipping vessels in the Hawaiian operating area to align with the overall mission of the NCAGS community. This took coordination between the civilian shipping and military maritime communities.
“Shipping coordination teams ashore and afloat support the NCAGS mission by building trust and confidence across the maritime industry and enable rapid responses to future crises,” says U.S. Navy Cmdr. Mike Sheahan.
Building and maintaining enduring relationships with local maritime industry participants and officials throughout the Pacific are vital to ensure protection of shipping and maintaining peace in the region.
“As Port of Honolulu handles 92% of all civilian and military cargo entering the state by ship as the center of a hub and spoke for the Hawaiian archipelago, the protection of and investment in the resilience of the port is paramount to sustaining the economy of the State of Hawaii and continuing military operations in the Pacific,” said Ms. Dre Kalili, Hawai‘i’s Deputy Director of Transportation for the Harbors.
During the course of RIMPAC, NCAGS shipping coordination teams conducted independent port assessments in Honolulu, Pearl Harbor, Barbers Point and outlaying island ports supported by Hawai‘i Department of Transportation (HDOT).
“Taking opportunities such as RIMPAC to work with industry partners and HDOT members including Ms. Kalili offer the ability to build sustained relationships which in turn will allow to create a safer and more resilient environment for our nations and their respective maritime communities,” added U.S. Navy Cmdr. Vincent D’Eusanio.
Capt. Alex Soukhanov, commanding officer, Commander, 3rd Fleet NCAGS believes NCAGS requires continual relationships and communications with shipping and maritime stakeholders to protect life, property, and the environment.
“We can't surge trust - shipping is always moving - so this continual synthesis of risk assessments between Navy and industry is critical,” said Soukhanoy. “RIMPAC offers us a tremendous opportunity to practice as a multi-national team towards the multi-national mission. Many in our NCAGS teams are also career maritime industry professionals, so the mix of operational experience and relationships is mutually ideal and a natural fit. We're grateful for the superb cooperation from the Hawaii Department of Transportation, Matson Navigation, and the Pasha Maritime Group to offer us the practical settings at sea and ashore to train and learn together."
Twenty-nine nations, 40 surface ships, three submarines, 14 national land forces, more than 150 aircraft, and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC in and around the Hawaiian Islands, June 27 to Aug. 1. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2024 is the 29th exercise in the series that began in 1971.
| Date Taken: | 07.17.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 07.30.2024 14:48 |
| Story ID: | 477295 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 343 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Partner Nations’ NCAGS Officers Collaborate at RIMPAC 2024, by CDR Mike Sheahan, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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