French Naval ship LHD Dixmude visits Ghana
A French Naval ship, the Landing Helicopter Deck (LHD) Dixmude, was at the Tema Harbour last Saturday for a 4-day routine port call to the country.
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LHD Dixmude which left the country last Tuesday was in the country to reinforce the existing ties between the French Navy and the Ghana Navy.
The LHD Dixmude which has been under the Command of Captain Eric Lavault since 2015, has a staff strength of 25 officers, 131 petty officers and 62 seamen.
Speaking during a reception on board the vessel, the Ambassador of France to Ghana, Mr François Pujolas, recalled that both countries were developing stronger ties in the economic and security fields, adding that cooperation in the two fields was key.
He cited as a very good example the regional cooperation to tackle the challenges of maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea and the role that the Ghanaian navy had played in this regard.
He stressed the importance of the forthcoming Africa Union Summit in Lomé,Togo, next month.
The Ambassador said he was happy to note that in line with the visit various interactions between the Ghana Navy and French Navy would be organised in the framework of the Nemo multilateral exercise which sought to develop coordination in the area of the Gulf of Guinea.
The objective of the Nemo exercise is to facilitate the sharing of information, the monitoring of suspicious activities and the coordination of appropriate actions in the fight against piracy.
LHD Dixmude
LHD Dixmude belongs to the Mistral class of ships which were conceived as a best possible answer to operational requirements.
Their capacities reinforce significantly the French and European means in the areas of force projection in both inter-army and inter-allies commandment at sea.
The vessel can be involved in a wide variety of operations, such as population rescue interventions, helicopter or amphibious operations, flagship and command, troops and freight transportation and health support.