CUTLASS EXPRESS EXERCISE 2023

An official ceremony was organized this morning in Mauritius at the Mauritian Coast Guard Training School to mark the end of the 12th edition of the International Maritime Exercise and Cutlass Express 2023. The US Ambassador for Seychelles & Mauritius Ambassador Henry V Jardine made the closing address in the presence of Senior Officials involved in the exercise.

Another closing ceremony was held at the Military Training Support Centre at Ile Perseverance, certificates were presented to participating countries and partners in the presence of Director General Operations Canadian Coast Guard Mr. Mark Mes, Chief of Staff Colonel Jean Attala, Members of the Defence Forces Council, U.S. Counselor for Seychelles Mr. James Donegan and other senior officers.

The training objective was for the participating nations to test their abilities to detect or disrupt illicit trafficking, piracy, illegal fishing, as well as search and rescue situations in port and at sea.

The IMX/CE is Africom’s largest Naval Training Exercise in the Indian Ocean, bringing together the U.S forces and regional partners to share their expertise and experience.

This year the SDF units took part along with their counterparts from Comoros, Mauritius, Madagascar and Kenya. Exercise planners and facilitators from the US, Canada and from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) made sure that participants made the most of of the two weeks training, which was spread through Seychelles, Mauritius and Kenya.