U.S. embassy concludes exercise Cutlass Express 2025 in Seychelles   |24 February 2025

  A participant receiving his certificate at the end of the exercise

The U.S. embassy in Seychelles, in collaboration with U.S. Naval Forces Africa (Navaf), successfully concluded the 15th edition of Cutlass Express 2025 (CE25), a 10-day multinational maritime exercise aimed at strengthening maritime security and regional cooperation in the Indian Ocean.

The exercise took place from February 10 to 21, with Seychelles serving as one of the three primary host nations, alongside Mauritius and Tanzania.

Cutlass Express is an annual maritime exercise sponsored by U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) and facilitated by Navaf. Now in its 15th iteration since its inception in 2011, the exercise focused on enhancing maritime law enforcement capabilities, promoting national and regional security in East Africa, and helping participating countries work together better to tackle regional and global maritime threats.

In Seychelles, Maritime Operations Centre and Maritime Legal trainings were conducted at the Regional Coordination Operations Centre (RCOC). In addition, the deployment of a Boeing P-8 Poseidon aircraft provided maritime domain awareness support to the exercise. The P-8 conducted patrols in the region ranging as far as the East African coast to provide live information feeds for the exercise. The aircraft contributed significantly to the exercise by providing critical surveillance, intelligence, and coordination capabilities and fostered cooperation and interoperability among the participating military and law enforcement agencies.

The success of Cutlass Express 2025 in Seychelles underscores the country’s growing leadership role in regional maritime security.

U.S. embassy chargé d’affaires, Adham Loutfi, expressed deep gratitude to the government of Seychelles, the Seychelles Police Force, and the Seychelles Coast Guard for their unwavering support and hospitality throughout the exercise.

In remarks to participants, Mr Loutfi highlighted the success of the exercise, saying: “Cutlass Express is more than a military exercise – it’s a symbol of our shared commitment to safeguarding the seas and ensuring a prosperous future for the region.”

The U.S. remains committed to working alongside Seychelles and its regional partners to uphold maritime security and the international rules-based order.

Contributed