Aviation Support underway in Seychelles
By
CJTF-HOA
CJTF-HOA
October 14, 2014
The contracting officers met with commercial airline Air Seychelles representatives to discuss and validate a contract for the High Altitude LIDAR Operations-Experiment mission that begins in Oct. The HALOE will conduct high-altitude contouring over the island of Seychelles.
“HALOE is being deployed to Seychelles to support CJTF-HOA in creation of contour maps of [East Africa] to improve mission planning and support partner nations in AMISOM,” said U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Lars Lone, CJTF-HOA DET liaison officer to Seychelles. “HALOE will additionally support Seychelles in contour mapping several major islands to improve airport facilities and aid in planning for future airport construction.”
The contract between the U.S. government and Air Seychelles that was discussed will provide all ground services for the HALOE aircrew and aircraft. The airline company will provide services such as lavatory, water, cabin cleaning, regular aircraft maintenance, push back and towing services, to name a few.
“The HALO-E mission will be in direct support of CJTF-HOA,” Lone said. “This contract will ensure the aircrew will be prepared and have all their needs met prior to their arrival, allowing for a smooth start of the mission, as well as carry them through the entire operation.”
Seychelles provides a strategic location for U.S. personnel to operate out of and acts as a stopping point for the many different missions that fly through here. More than 1100 U.S. Military and DOD personnel have visited Seychelles in the last six months to complete refueling, crew rest and resupply.
The U.S. military leases the only commercial hangar in Seychelles providing strategic air lift capability in the Indian Ocean. Seychelles also has a deep water harbor allowing for refueling and resupply in the Indian Ocean.
“[By being here we] are maintaining our open relationships with our joint and intergovernmental military entities as well as maintaining our ties and relationships in East Africa,” said Lone.
Many of the multinational organizations that operate out of Djibouti also operate out of Seychelles, such as European Conference on Antennas and Propagation NESTOR and the regional anti-piracy prosecution and intelligence coordination centre.
Additionally, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Department of Homeland Security and Navy Research Lab have active missions to Seychelles providing support to counter piracy missions as well as weather forecasting.
While on station, the contracting team also conducted the first resupply purchase in nearly six months for the U.S. personnel and assets located on the island. They purchased power tools, fuel and paid for forklift repairs. The forklifts are critical to many of their missions and are used to offload cargo from C-17s and C-130s that come through the island.
“The purpose of this mission was to ensure the facility here can continue to do its job and stay up and running for any mission that comes this way,” said U.S. Navy Lt. Joshua Burgess, CJTF-HOA Contingency Contracting officer. “As a CCO our job is to pick up and go places to provide support when needed downrange.”
http://www.hoa.africom.mil/story/8438/aviation-support-underway-in-seychelles
Seychellois people has always by genuine friends with USa and westerners,and surely would welcome the USA project because it would help Seychelles but also allow the country to generate extra revenues.As to the idea of looking at islands/Maps for future Airport construction------Seychelles is a small isalnds state with mini islands therefroe limited land that future generation would need to hoem themselves---and that means using any exsiting island to built a new Airport now ior in the future will reduce the already limited space for our people .
ReplyDeleteWhile a new Airport is needed ,non island should be destroyed to built new airport,instead ,used and over öfished banks (few kiliometers from the main land could be used to build for this purpose.There is enough banks avavaialbe around Mahe that could be suitable for such project or reclaimed Island build a few kiliomemters aways could laso be a possibility.There are countries that have done such constructions before---For instance,Hong Kong International Airport is built on a reclaimed island.Seychelles cannot stay a tourism destination if we continue to destroy the natural habitat and environement and land.
One more thing---If the USa is really frank in its friendship with Seychelles--it must also ensure that the people of Seychelles that the USa call a firend is helped to be free from this Prison Nation built by a gang of criminal call Pl.USA would otherwise not have the support of the Seychellois people.You cannot say you a firend of the people of Seychelles by working with the oppressors of a Nation you call friend.
We expect then the USA not only to secure their interests in the region and use our land as hub but also help the people of this country have their liberty and freedom.
We would also like that any money of money handed to Pl thugs by thew USa is made public for public scrutiny and ensure that the money isnot misused or robbed by Pl thieves.
Jeanne D'Arc
As citizens will ask USa to ensure that deals being made is made public for public scrutiny.accountability and transparency.Any deal made in secrecy will be and should be consider illegal and a violation of our people rights to know and decide.
ReplyDeleteNot only USA will provide the equipment but alos money to the ogovernemnt and the people of Seychelles demand that USa government be responsible and not support Pl dictatorship by making money given to Pl government public for public scrunity and to deter the temptation that Pl thieves rob the money to tranfers into their foreign bank accounts abroad.Seychellois expect transparency on the part of US government and not to practice the polcies of communist China which consist of pooring millions into a rogue system which would allow the later to continue its grab of power and repress its people.
ReplyDelete