Joint military exercise reflects intention of U.S.

Exercise Africa Endeavor 2009 (AE09), a communications technology-centered military exercise among multiple African countries ended in Libreville, Gabon on October 8. More than 200 officers and soldiers from 25 African countries participated in the 10-day military exercise. The exercise was sponsored by the U.S. Africa Command, and supported by the African Union.

Exercise Africa Endeavor has been held once a year since 2007. It aims to improve participating countries' cooperative engagement capability in command, control, communications and information system integration. The exercise was held in South Africa in 2000 and in Nigeria in 2008.

Director of Gabonese Navy, Rear Admiral and director of Gabonese Africa Endeavor 2009 Herve Nambo said that each country has its own communications equipment that may not be fully compatible with that of other participating countries. Therefore, it is important to maintain mutual communication and cooperation with other armies in peacekeeping operations.

U.S. commander Bright Talbot said that during the exercise, armies of participating countries were able to contact and communicate with each other through e-mail, the Internet and radio, so as to test respective information technology equipment.

"This is the first time since its official operation that the U.S. African Command has taken over from the U.S. European Command and operated the 2009 Africa Endeavor communications technology military exercise," Yusuf, a military journalist from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAA) told reporters.

Although the U.S. has achieved limited progress in establishing a command in Africa, it has never stopped trying to strengthen African strategies. The 2009 Africa Endeavor communications technology military exercise held by the U.S. African Command is just an example of the U.S.' efforts.

Daniel Wurman, director of the Washington-based Africa Security Research project, recently wrote in an article that the U.S. government has decided to increase funding to support the U.S. African Command and the African anti-terrorist project in its annual financial budget for 2010. It is estimated that the Pentagon alone will invest 763 million U.S. dollars in the African Command in 2010.

By People's Daily Online