African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) troops are making strides in improving their intelligence-gathering capabilities in the fight against violent extremist organizations like al-Shabaab following a recent month-long intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) course taught by both U.S. and British military personnel.
The training took place at the Mogadishu International Airport in Somalia. Students from the militaries of the five African nations contributing troops to AMISOM – Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, Djibouti and Ethiopia – participated in the training.
The British-led course, which is expected to graduate nearly two-dozen students on Aug. 25, incorporated instruction from a Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) Air Force captain, who taught some of the course material and advised on course curriculum.
The training was in preparation for planned efforts of the U.S. State Department to provide a remotely-piloted aircraft (RPA) to assist in AMISOM efforts to plan and execute operations against al-Shabaab in Somalia. Dates are yet to be determined when the system will be provided. The course is intended to enhance understanding of how ISR capability can be applied to better prepare the AMISOM troops in deploying this new tool.
“I was asked to focus on tasking ISR assets,” said Hurt. “I also advised and assisted them with course structure and curriculum for the remainder of the week.”
“The capstone is designed to test their understanding of what they have been taught throughout the week,” said Hurt. “This was their first exercise and they did a really great job.”
The intent of the combined efforts of CJTF-HOA and partner nations is to assist Somalia National Security Forces in becoming a self-supporting force capable of securing the area and deterring the spread of violent extremism. Efficient and proper use of ISR capabilities provide an advantage to ground efforts, helping ensure success of stability in the region.
“The ISR training reinforces CJTF-HOA’s commitment to helping improve AMISOM’s capability to plan and collect against security threats in Somalia,” said U.S. Army Col. Remso J. Martinez, director of CJTF-HOA’s Intelligence Directorate.
Hurt applauded the AMISOM students’ enthusiasm and willingness to learn.
“There is a little bit of a language barrier in a course full of so many different countries’ military members,” he said. “They really showed interest in what they were learning. You could see the excitement as they understood how they could apply this in their continued fight against violent extremism.”
