Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Lieutenant General Thomas Oppong- Preprah has flagged off the sail of selected Ghana and United States Navy ships at the Tema Harbour for “Exercise Sea Lion 2024” from 18-24 March, 2024.

The joint multinational exercise initiated by the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to test the endurance and combat readiness of naval ships, would see them crossing the Equator to the Centre of the Earth at Longitude and Latitude 0ᵒ.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Lt Gen Oppong-Preprah revealed that the objective of the exercise was to test the endurance and combat readiness of selected Ghana Navy Ships, enhance maritime security, train personnel in fleet maneuvers, conduct a joint exercise between the three arms of GAF, enhance interoperability, exercising Ghana Navy boat squadron in counter terrorism and hostage rescue operations, and the training of personnel of the Ghana Army Special Operations Brigade in amphibious landing operations.

The CDS stated that the joint nature of the exercise would help build the interoperability for future operations so that contemporary security threats such as piracy and terrorism in the West African sub-region which required robust, comprehensive, adequately equipped and well-trained personnel to deal with would be handled.

He underscored the importance of the exercise to showcase Ghana as the country closest to the centre of the earth. Adding that it would unearth the tourism potential that can be harnessed from such voyages.

Lt Gen Oppong- Preprah invite investors to collaborate with the Ghana Navy and the Ghana Tourism Authority to make the objective a success.

Lt Gen Thomas Oppong-Preprah commended the Ghana Navy for the laudable initiative, adding that such exercises were key to building the Ghana Navy and the Ghana Armed Forces at large.