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Defense & Security News - Niger
 
Annual multinational Special Forces Operations exercice Flintlock 2017 started in Niger.
More than 20 Nations came together as Flintlock 2017 kicked off with its opening ceremony Feb. 27, in N’Djamena. The annual training exercise is a Special Forces Operations exercise with more than 2,000 participants from across Africa, Europe and North America.
     
More than 20 Nations came together as Flintlock 17 kicked off with its opening ceremony Feb. 27, in N’Djamena. The annual training exercise is a Special Operations exercise with more than 2,000 participants from across Africa, Europe and North America. A U.S. Special Forces team commander addresses the participants of Flintlock 2017 during opening ceremonies in Diffa, Niger, Feb. 27, 2017. Flintlock exercises strengthen security institutions, promote multilateral sharing of information and develop interoperability among African and western partner nations. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Zayid Ballesteros)
     
Exercise Flintlock 2017 kicked off in Diffa, Niger Feb. 27, 2017. This is the second time Niger has hosted Flintlock since 2005. Niger is one of seven host nations which include Burkina Faso, Chad, Cameroon, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia. Flintlock is an annual, multinational Special Operations Forces exercise designed to reinforce the military capabilities of participating nations. Exercises like Flintlock provide a unique opportunity to enhance regional coordination and address common security challenges.

The three-week, Special Operations Forces-focused exercise began in 2005 and has grown to include police, border protection services and academia aimed at increasing safety and security in Africa while strengthening government institutions, promoting multilateral sharing of information and developing interoperability among partner nations of the Trans-Sahara Counter-Terrorism Partnership (TSCTP).
 

With approximately 2,000 military and support staff in attendance, Chadian Brig. Gen. Zakaria Ngobongue, the Flintlock exercise director, welcomed the guests from the various countries as the ceremony began. Countries also hosting training events include Niger, Burkina Faso, Morocco, Tunisia, Cameroon, and Mauritania.

This is the second time Chad has hosted the Flintlock series of exercises. Training will focus on skills such as small unit tactics, medical evacuations, and desert survival. The exercise helps build the capabilities of the key African partners as well as promote regional cooperation and interoperability.

The exercise helps to achieve U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) objectives for military capacity development training and multinational regional cooperation. Participating nations are members in the TSCTP and are planned by African partner nation Special Operations Forces and SOCAFRICA to develop the capacity and collaboration among African security forces to protect civilian populations.

Through exercises such as Flintlock, SOCAFRICA, USAFRICOM and the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) provide military training opportunities to foster relationships of peace, security and cooperation among all Trans-Saharan nations through the TSCTP program.