Mauritanian Navy sailors took part in NATO’s Defence and Related Security Capacity Building Initiative to enhance their defence and security.
Synopsis
Sailors of the Mauritanian Navy conducted a three week-training programme on maritime interdiction, hosted by the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Centre (NMIOTC), located near Chania, Greece, from 21 October to 8 November 2024. These training activities were carried out within the framework of NATO’s Defence and Related Security Capacity Building (DCB) Initiative. NATO’s DCB Initiative is designed to provide strategic advice and practical assistance to NATO partners, upon their request, helping them build defence capacity, in areas where NATO has expertise and added value.
The training included theoretical and practical sessions on Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS), countering weapons of mass destruction (WMD), improvised explosive devices (IEDs), first aid in combat, and biometrics. The goal was to enhance Mauritania's maritime security capacity and protect its borders from threats such as terrorism.
NATO has maintained a long-standing partnership with Mauritania since the country joined the Alliance’s Mediterranean Dialogue in 1995. Over the years, this partnership has expanded significantly, with NATO supporting Mauritania in enhancing its defence and security capabilities and professional military education institutions. Additionally, Mauritanian forces will receive comprehensive maritime security training at the Maritime Security Centre of Excellence in Türkiye.
Through initiatives like the DCB Package for Mauritania, NATO aims to strengthen the country’s defence and security capacity, contributing to regional stability in the Sahel region.
Footage includes shots of Mauritanian Navy personnel engaging in various training activities, with soundbites from NMIOTC officials and a Mauritanian officer.
Transcript
---SHOTLIST—
(00:00) VARIOUS SHOTS – NATO TRAINER TEACHES FIRST AID TO MAURITANIAN NAVY SAILORS.
(00:29) VARIOUS SHOTS – MAURITANIAN NAVY SAILORS PRACTISE FIRST AID IN A SIMULATED SCENARIO WITH NATO TRAINERS.
(01:44) VARIOUS SHOTS – MAURITANIAN NAVY SAILORS GO ON BOARD A RIGID-HULLED INFLATABLE BOAT (RHIB) BOAT
(02:02) VARIOUS SHOTS – MAURITANIAN NAVY SAILORS PRACTISE TATICAL RHIB BOAT INSERTION IN A TRAINING EXERCISE.
(02:27) VARIOUS SHOTS – MAURITANIAN NAVY SAILORS CLIMB ON BOARD A BOAT DURING A TRAINING EXERCISE.
(02:52) VARIOUS SHOTS – NATO TRAINER TEACHES MEDICAL EVACUATION TO MAURITANIAN NAVY SAILORS.
(03:40) VARIOUS SHOTS – NATO TRAINER TEACHES BIOMETRICS DATA COLLECTION TO MAURITANIAN NAVY SAILORS.
(03:50) VARIOUS SHOTS –MAURITANIAN NAVY SAILORS PRACTISE BIOMETRICS DATA COLLECTION DURING A TRAINING EXERCISE.
(04:06) VARIOUS SHOTS – NATO TRAINER TEACHES MAURITANIAN NAVY SAILORS ON THE DETECTION OF CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL, RADIOLOGOCAL AND NUCLEAR (CBRN) MATERIALS.
(04:35) VARIOUS SHOTS – MAURITANIAN NAVY SAILORS PRACTISE DETECTION OF CBRN MATERIALS DURING A TRAINING EXERCISE.
(04:51) SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH – COMMODORE STATHIS KYRIAKIDIS – NMIOTC COMMANDANT (AT THE TIME OF FILMING)
“The NMIOTC is the only NATO Education and Training Facility in the maritime domain. We aim to train and educate personnel from the member states and partners alike. The contemporary maritime interdiction is a more overarching and cross-domain concept. Therefore, here in NMIOTC, we try to include all the topics and all domains related to maritime security from an interdiction perspective, including, for example, cyber defence, the protection of critical infrastructure, the biometrics data collection and analysis, and so on, so forth.”
(05:37) SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH – COMMODORE STATHIS KYRIAKIDIS – NMIOTC COMMANDANT (AT THE TIME OF FILMING)
“Since 2008, with the establishment of the centre we have trained more than 30,000 people coming from 107 countries, and we have achieved the unconditional accreditation by the Supreme Allied Command Transformation regarding the quality of the courses and the products.”
(06:02) SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH – COMMODORE STATHIS KYRIAKIDIS – NMIOTC COMMANDANT (AT THE TIME OF FILMING)
“Our aim for the future is to more upgrade the capabilities of the centre and to adapt new concepts in our syllabus in order to remain in the forefront of the Allied educational training.”
(06:21) SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH – COMMODORE STATHIS KYRIAKIDIS – NMIOTC COMMANDANT (AT THE TIME OF FILMING)
“I am glad that we host a specialised forces team from Mauritania, and they're being trained in topics such as counter-terrorism and border security, following NATO's standards and procedures, because we do believe that the upgrades and the enhancement of their training will be beneficial both for them and for the Alliance.”
(06:49) SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH – INSTRUCTOR LAZARIUS – NMIOTC INSTRUCTOR
“The module status and activity include theoretical and practical training in maritime operations, including weapons of mass destruction, improvised explosive device, and first aid in a combat environment.”
(07:04) SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH – INSTRUCTOR LAZARIUS – NMIOTC INSTRUCTOR
“It's great to have Mauritanian military in NMIOTC in order to provide training according to NATO standards and help them in order to provide maritime security in their borders and conduct maritime operations with safety.”
(07:22) SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH – INSTRUCTOR LAZARIUS – NMIOTC INSTRUCTOR
“One of the modules that we offer was first aid in maritime environment. So, the Mauritanian military, they have to perform first aid in maritime environment in order to save people under stress and confined space environments.”
(07:41) SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH – INSTRUCTOR LAZARIUS – NMIOTC INSTRUCTOR
“So, one of the challenges that we have to face was the language barrier, but it was something that we overpassed and we were able to transfer the knowledge to them in order to provide and conduct maritime operations with safety and according to NATO standards.”
(08:02) SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH – INSTRUCTOR LAZARIUS – NMIOTC INSTRUCTOR
“For the year 2025, a ‘train-the-trainers’ package is planned in order to start enhancing the capabilities of the Mauritanian Armed Forces to build and consulting their own training programme in the field of maritime operations and related topics.”
(08:20) SOUNDBITE IN FRENCH – MÜLAZIM HAMADJI AMAR – SECTION HEAD OF THE MAURITANIAN NAVY’S COMMANDO COMPANY
“Given the major importance of the maritime domain in general, maritime security helps to significantly reduce violence linked to drug trafficking, terrorism and human trafficking. This is why it is crucial to maintain maritime security.”
(08:41) SOUNDBITE IN FRENCH – MÜLAZIM HAMADJI AMAR – SECTION HEAD OF THE MAURITANIAN NAVY’S COMMANDO COMPANY
“Mauritania, through our Armed Forces, is deploying all its assets to ensure security in our exclusive economic zone and in our territorial waters.
(08:52) SOUNDBITE IN FRENCH – MÜLAZIM HAMADJI AMAR – SECTION HEAD OF THE MAURITANIAN NAVY’S COMMANDO COMPANY
“Personally, I can see that security brings stability.”
(08:57) SOUNDBITE IN FRENCH – MÜLAZIM HAMADJI AMAR – SECTION HEAD OF THE MAURITANIAN NAVY’S COMMANDO COMPANY
“At the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Centre, we had a lot of modules, namely planning of maritime interdiction operations, first aid during on-board combat and new boarding techniques.”
(09:14) SOUNDBITE IN FRENCH – MÜLAZIM HAMADJI AMAR – SECTION HEAD OF THE MAURITANIAN NAVY’S COMMANDO COMPANY
“I enjoyed the practical part the most, when we boarded training platforms. Because doing practical exercises allows us to consolidate and retain the information learnt in the classroom.”
(09:27) SOUNDBITE IN FRENCH – MÜLAZIM HAMADJI AMAR – SECTION HEAD OF THE MAURITANIAN NAVY’S COMMANDO COMPANY
“Working with NATO is crucial given the importance of having new experiences and learning new procedures for our work.”
(09:38) SOUNDBITE IN FRENCH – MÜLAZIM HAMADJI AMAR – SECTION HEAD OF THE MAURITANIAN NAVY’S COMMANDO COMPANY
“So, I will use what I have learnt to increase security within my team, which will make us more able to tackle challenges and threats in the future.”
(09:52) SOUNDBITE IN FRENCH – MÜLAZIM HAMADJI AMAR – SECTION HEAD OF THE MAURITANIAN NAVY’S COMMANDO COMPANY
“It would be very beneficial to do training to support instructors, so that we can train our teams at home, in our environment.”
(10:01) SOUNDBITE IN FRENCH – MÜLAZIM HAMADJI AMAR – SECTION HEAD OF THE MAURITANIAN NAVY’S COMMANDO COMPANY
“Training with NATO is useful for protecting our maritime border, our territory and as a consequence our population.”
(10:14) SOUNDBITE IN FRENCH – MÜLAZIM HAMADJI AMAR – SECTION HEAD OF THE MAURITANIAN NAVY’S COMMANDO COMPANY
“Cooperation with NATO will enable us to strengthen our relationships with Allies and share experiences.”
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