U.S., U.K. help build West African partners' anti-piracy capabilities

U.S. Marines and U.K. Royal Marine Commandos completed their training of West African partner nations in anti-piracy capabilities.

Marines and sailors from the Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response-Africa joined the U.K. Royal Marines and began their training program on October 2 in Angola, Nigeria, Ghana, and Togo. Training focused on developing maritime strength to better prepare West African countries encountering pirates and illicit trafficking in the Gulf of Guinea.

"Even though we worked with each country's Navy with more or less the same type of training, they all have one common goal and that is to provide a safe and secure passage way for ships and its crews in these waters," U.S. Marine 1st Lt. Kristan Volk said of the training.

Training included room-clearing techniques, weapon handling skills, marksmanship, and search and seizure techniques.

Heightened security has helped make waters safer in West Africa, according to a U.S. Naval Institute report showing oil-tanker hijacking rates have declined since 2011. African nations have been working more closely to intercept hijackers since 2013, but piracy remains a problem in the region.