The United States Department of Defense delivered this Wednesday, December 7, in Maputo, a modern vessel to the Mozambican Navy, in order to strengthen the capacity to patrol the 2500 kilometers of the Mozambican maritime coast, which in recent years has suffered from drug trafficking, maritime piracy and terrorist actions.
According to the permanent secretary of the Ministry of National Defense, Casimiro Mueio, the vessel arrives at a “special” moment, when operations in the Northern Operational Theater are running satisfactorily as a result of the joint effort of the Defense and Security Forces (DSF), friendly forces from Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community Military Mission (SAMIM).
“The boat is equipped with modern telecommunications and interception systems. In addition to the crew, the boat has the capacity to carry ten military personnel on patrol missions,” said the official.
The US ambassador in Mozambique, Peter Hendrick Vrooman, declared that this means will boost patrol in territorial waters and that, after the formal delivery of the vessel, the training phase for Mozambican sailors will follow.
“This vessel will increase military security and allow Mozambique’s Naval Forces to respond to increasingly complex challenges and threats,” he concluded.