France and Algeria will undertake
a joint maritime surveillance and security exercise named Raïs
Hamidou 10 from 2 to 19 March 2010 in the western Mediterranean
within the framework of the strengthening of bilateral cooperation
and friendship between the two countries stemming from the defence
agreement signed on 21 June 2008.
[statewatch.org] The exercise follows on from the one carried out from 30 January
to 15 February 2009 to consolidate the operational coordination
between the French and Algerian navies to develop interoperability
between navy units, share know-how and experience, thus promoting
the two navies‘ readiness to act jointly and respond to crisis
situations. The exercise will unfold over four phases: from 2
to 9 March 2010 in Toulon to "create cohesion between the
two countries‘ crews" and prepare the operations at sea,
including workshops, conferences and courses; from 9 to 13 March
off the Algerian coast in the stretch between Toulon and Oran;
a complementary joint aero-maritime surveillance, interception
and assistance operation between Oran and Algiers from 13 to
16 March; and a final evaluation and de-briefing phase after
disembarking in Algiers from 16 to 19 March.
The French deputy squadron admiral Yann Tainguy, prefect for
the Mediterranean region, whose responsibilities include all
the domains in which the state’s activity at sea is concerned
and the coordination of all actions and means used by administrations
whose activities have sea-related components, will oversee the
exercise, travelling to meet his Algerian counterparts in Algiers
on 16 and 17 March. Tainguy is responsible for the rescue of
people and goods, prevention and countering sea pollution, "maintaining
public order at sea", hydrography and nautical information.
The means that will be made available for the exercise include
a French surveillance frigate, "Germinal", with a Lynx
helicopter on board, one maritime surveillance aeroplane of the
Atlantique 2-type, the Toulon maritime operations centre (Centre
d’Opérations Maritimes, COM) and the Toulon naval base’s
onland training facilities. On the Algerian side, two coastguard
patrol boats, one corvette equipped with missiles, one sea rescue
boat and a plastron boat, one maritime surveillance aircraft,
one group of naval fusiliers and the national surveillance and
rescue operational centre (Centre National Opérationnel
de Surveillance et de Sauvetage, CNOSS) based in Algiers.
Sources:
Exercice algéro-français
de surveillance et de sécurité maritime, Le Portail des sous-marines,
26.2.2010
Press dossier on the 2009 exercise: "Exercice
Franco-Algerien Rais Hamidou 08"
El
Moudjahid (Algeria), 28.2.2010
Source: http://www.statewatch.org/news/2010/mar/01france-algeria.htm
