The second iteration of Exercise Usalama Baharini concluded on November 20, 2025, in Kenyan waters off Mombasa, drawing together the Kenya Navy, European Union Naval Force Operation Atalanta, and regional partners to counter maritime threats.
Held from November 17 to 20 at the Bandari Maritime Academy and surrounding seas, the four-day event built on a precursor joint operation in May 2024 that first paired Kenyan and Atalanta forces, though without the Usalama Baharini designation. Kenyan Defence Ministry officials described the exercise as a means to improve interoperability, operational readiness, and joint responses to risks in the western Indian Ocean, a corridor handling 10% of global trade volume.
Operation Atalanta echoed this, stating the drills would advance collaboration among national, international, and institutional entities to secure the region. Verified as complete on December 6, 2025, the exercise followed a multi-agency narcotics bust on October 25, where Kenya Navy Ship Shupavu (P6130) intercepted a stateless dhow, codenamed IGOR, 630 kilometres east of Mombasa. That operation, Bahari Safi 2025.01, yielded 1,024 kilograms of 98% pure methamphetamine valued at $63 million, with six Iranian nationals arrested after a visit, board, search, and seizure action supported by Interpol and U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service teams.
Participants spanned Kenyan agencies, including the Coast Guard Service, Anti-Narcotics Unit, Maritime Authority, Ports Authority, Fisheries Service, and Wildlife Service, alongside Atalanta’s flagship ESPS Victoria (F82) and special operations detachment. Rear Admiral Paolo Fantoni, Atalanta deputy commander, opened proceedings with EU Delegation Head Cristina Barrios, while Brigadier Mohamed Shemote, Kenya Navy fleet commander, stressed the need to detect, deter, and respond to piracy, smuggling, illegal fishing, and terrorism. The western Indian Ocean faces layered threats: Somali piracy incidents rose to 18 in 2024 from near zero, driven by Houthi distractions in the Red Sea; illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing depletes stocks worth $1 billion annually across East Africa; and narcotics flows, like the October haul, transit via dhows from Asia to Europe, fueling local addiction and crime. These challenges erode food security and blue economy gains, with IUU vessels often masking human trafficking or arms runs.
Classroom sessions formed the exercise’s foundation, addressing rules of engagement in interdictions and counter-narcotics law. Seminars covered human rights, sea-based enforcement, and IUU fishing, with input from Interpol experts and Kenya Fisheries personnel. A counter-piracy lecture by Kenyan officers examined high seas jurisdiction, interdiction tactics, and force application under Combined Maritime Forces Task Force 151, which coordinates multinational anti-piracy efforts. These discussions clarified legal thresholds for boardings, where excessive force risks international backlash, but under-enforcement allows threats to evade capture.
Tactical training escalated to practical drills, starting with compliant visit, board, search, and seizure planning. ESPS Victoria’s boarding team led a checklist conference on escalation of force, behavioural cues, and communication protocols. Participants practised documentation reviews and inter-agency handoffs, essential for chaining evidence in prosecutions. Drills simulated compliant vessel approaches, balancing speed with safety to minimise crew resistance. Non-compliant scenarios shifted to Atalanta’s special operations unit, covering restraint techniques, detainee handling, tactical entry, and vessel control. High-speed boat manoeuvres tested close-quarters navigation, where operators must judge wind and currents to avoid collisions, trading aggressive pursuit for precision to preserve asset integrity.
The exercise peaked in a live scenario pitting teams against a simulated pirate mothership laden with narcotics and skiffs primed for hijackings. Kenyan and Atalanta forces executed a coordinated interdiction, applying seminar lessons to board, secure, and search under simulated fire. This mirrored real operations like the Hellas Aphrodite liberation on November 7, 2025, where ESPS Victoria’s helicopter, ScanEagle drone, and special operators freed 24 crew from Somali pirates 300 nautical miles off Eyl, using a show of force to deter without escalation. Such integrations highlight Atalanta’s mandate since 2008: protecting vessels, monitoring fishing, and deterring piracy across 2 million square nautical miles.
Vessels involved brought complementary capabilities. ESPS Victoria, a Santa Maria-class frigate commissioned in 1987, displaces 3,900 tons with a 76-millimetre Oto Melara gun, Harpoon missiles, and a Seahawk helicopter for over-the-horizon targeting. At 138 meters, it sustains 30-day patrols at 20 knots, but its ageing radar suite demands frequent updates to counter drone threats. KNS Shupavu, a 60-meter Shupavu-class offshore patrol vessel built in 1997 by Spain’s Gondan yard, mounts a 76-millimetre Oto Melara Compact and 30-millimetre Breda-Mauser for coastal enforcement. Post-2023 refit at Mombasa Shipyard, its MTU diesels yield 25 knots and 4,000-nautical-mile range on 480 tons displacement, enabling extended interdictions but limiting heavy armament trades for agility in littoral waters.
The final day featured a joint at-sea evolution between ESPS Victoria and KNS Shupavu, testing real-time data links for threat tracking. EU Ambassador Henriette Geiger noted that secure trade routes demand such partnerships, while Atalanta Commander Vice Admiral Ignacio Villanueva Serrano praised Kenyan actors as regional anchors. Operation Commander Commodore Joao Silva, assuming force command in October aboard Victoria, emphasised sustained vigilance amid Red Sea spillovers.
Usalama Baharini demonstrates scalable capacity-building, where Kenyan-led ops like Bahari Safi integrate global intelligence to disrupt networks. Yet gaps persist: limited patrol assets strain coverage of 1,420 kilometres of the Kenyan coast, and IUU requires satellite monitoring beyond current budgets. Trade-offs in boarding tactics, like non-lethal tools versus armed response, demand ongoing refinement to align with human rights standards. As threats evolve, these exercises forge a resilient framework, ensuring East Africa’s seas remain open for commerce and stability.