 MANAMA, Bahrain (June 1, 2017) Vice Adm. Louis-Michel Guillaume, left, commander of French Submarine and Strategic Oceanic Forces, Vice Adm. Kevin M. Donegan, middle, commander of the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, and Rear Adm. Robert K. Tarrant, commander Operations of the Royal Navy, sign an agreement to increase coordination for anti-submarine warfare activities between France, the U.S. and the United Kingdom. The agreement follows the signing of a trilateral cooperation agreement by Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson, the First Sea Lord of the United Kingdom Adm. Sir Philip Jones and French Chief of Naval Staff Adm. Christophe Prazuck in London on March 27. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communications Specialist 2nd Class Victoria Kinney/Released) (Photo by MC2 Victoria Kinney)
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Commander U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, Vice Adm. Kevin M. Donegan, signed the trilateral agreement with Vice Adm. Louis-Michel Guillaume, commander French Submarine and Strategic Oceanic Forces (ALFOST), and Rear Adm. Robert K. Tarrant, Commander, Operations of the Royal Navy at Donegan’s headquarters in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
This agreement follows the signing of a document by Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson, the First Sea Lord of the United Kingdom, Adm. Sir Philip Jones, and French Chief of Naval Staff Adm. Christophe Prazuck, in London on March 27.
In that document, the three chiefs of their respective navies affirmed their commitment to enhanced interoperability.
“We believe this increased trilateral cooperation will help secure a future that is not only in the interests of our three nations, but in the common interests of our allies, partners, and all likeminded nations who are committed to peace, prosperity, and maritime security,” an excerpt from the statement read.
“This agreement expands upon the 2017 trilateral maritime talks between the leaders of our respective navies and codifies a practical framework on how we will operate in the 5th Fleet area of operations when it comes to coordinating anti-submarine warfare operations,” Donegan said. “This agreement lays the groundwork for executing more operations together and enhancing cooperation in the undersea domain. The end result is safer, more effective operations that work in the best interest of all three countries.”
“Our nations have operated regularly in close cooperation for many years, but the agreement signed today, which followed the trilateral meeting of our respective Chiefs of Navy in March, allows our navies to reach a standardized level in anti-submarine warfare coordination across the region,” Guillaume said. “We thus will have right away in the 5th Fleet area of operations a high-level basis of cooperation to improve our operational results in undersea warfare.”
The U.S., U.K. and French navies regularly operate together in the 5th Fleet. France has deployed its nuclear aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle twice to the Arabian Gulf in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. In 2015, a French admiral embarked on Charles de Gaulle commanded NAVCENT’s Task Force (TF) 50, a U.S. task force. A Royal Navy admiral also assumed command of TF 50 last November while embarked aboard the amphibious helicopter carrier HMS Ocean. Additionally, both navies have had ships serving as part of TF 50 and with the Combined Maritime Forces in the region.
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