According to information published by US Navy on May 28, 2021, USS Hershel "Woody" Williams (ESB-4) conducts interoperability exercises with Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Spain, and Tunisian Naval forces during the at-sea portion of exercise Phoenix Express in the Mediterranean Sea. Naval Forces Africa, is designed to improve regional cooperation, increase maritime domain awareness, information-sharing practices, and operational capabilities in order to enhance efforts to promote safety and security in the Mediterranean Sea. The at-sea portion of the exercise will test North African, European, and U.S. maritime forces’ abilities to respond to irregular migration and combat illicit trafficking and the movement of illegal goods and materials. The USS Hershel "Woody" Williams (ESB-4) is a Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary sea base, currently in service with the United States Navy. The ship is capable of supporting multiple missions including Air Mine Counter Measures (AMCM), counter-piracy operations, maritime security operations, humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions and U.S. Marine Corps crisis response.

Source: The North Africa Journal May 31, 2021 04:52 UTC