THE Nigerian Navy is to deploy 14 ships and two helicopters to patrol the nation�s territorial waters with a view to neutralising militants and criminals along the coastlines.
It will today launch a one-week maneuver to show its readiness.The exercise will also involve the Army and the Air Force.
During the exercise, the oil-rich Gulf of Guinea will be effectively patrolled. The Chief of Training and Operations, Rear Admiral Sylvester Umosen, who dropped the hint during a chat with newsmen said the participating ships would carry out exercise such as �patrol of designated areas, search and rescue, blockade, towing, interdiction of suspected vessels, gunnery exercise, boarding and search, the neutralisation of a militia base in a given coastal area and recapture of an oil terminal.
Rear Admiral Umosen said the objective was to �test the capabilities and operational readiness of Nigerian Navy ships and personnel in containing some of the challenges confronting the Navy in the nation�s maritime area.
�It will also create deterrence to criminal activities in the nation�s waters, especially in this period preceding celebrations and end of year activities as well as to assess Navy�s fleet capabilities in conducting joint operations.
�It will also help exercise participating Navy ships, boats and helicopters in operating together as a fleet at sea as well as to examine the adequacy of existing logistic facilities and organisation in support operations.
�Above all, the exercise is to evaluate the effectiveness of the ongoing local refit of some ships of navy fleet,� he said.