US delivers four patrol vessels to Djibouti
The US delivered four 27ft Defender patrol vessels to the Armed Forces of Djibouti (FAD) as part of a train-and-equip defence partnership.
The delivery was confirmed by the US Naval Forces Europe-Africa in a tweet released on 29 February.
The move was facilitated by the State Department, USAFRICOM, US Naval Forces Africa and the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa.
The vessels are commonly used by the US Coast Guard and have also been provided to Benin, Liberia and Togo.
Djibouti remains a key strategic partner for the US due to its proximity to key international shipping routes in the Gulf of Aden. In December 2019, a $31m military aid package to the country supplied 54 new M1151 Humvee military vehicles now in use by the Djiboutian Rapid Intervention Battalion.
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