The Brazilian Navy offshore patrol vessel Araguari (P122) concluded a 4-day port visit to Walvis Bay, Namibia, followed by 2 days of joint tactical exercises with the Namibian Navy flagship, NS Elephant, on May 14 and 15, 2026. The deployment took place within Namibian territorial waters to mark the 40th anniversary of the South Atlantic Zone of Peace and Cooperation (ZOPACAS).
Led by Commander Anselmo Azevedo da Silva, the Brazilian delegation combined the at-sea drills with high-level diplomatic meetings ashore, including a visit with Walvis Bay Mayor Johannes Shimbilinga. The deployment directly followed the Araguari’s participation in Obangame Express 2026, a 31-nation multinational maritime exercise hosted by Cameroon, and a subsequent stop in Nigeria for the Nigerian Navy’s 70th anniversary celebrations in early June 2026.
The bilateral exercises focused on tactical coordination, force interoperability, and regional maritime security. Following the Brazilian vessel’s departure, the benefits of the operational training were immediately put to use. On May 17, 2026, the NS Elephant intercepted and arrested the foreign fishing vessel Fu Yuan Yu 9878 near the Namibia-Angola maritime border. The vessel was operating without a valid permit, carried a full net of unreported fish in a restricted zone, and had deactivated its automatic identification system (AIS), a tracking method used to monitor ship movements before the interception. The 22-man crew faced charges in the Walvis Bay Magistrate’s Court.
DEEPENING SOUTH ATLANTIC TIES
The interaction emphasizes the long-standing defence partnership between the two nations, which dates back to Namibia’s independence in 1990. Brazil has heavily supported the structural development of Namibia’s maritime force, providing technical training to more than 1,500 Namibian personnel at Brazilian naval academies. This education directly aided the formation of the Namibian Navy Marine Corps. Brazil also supplied several core assets to the Namibian fleet, including a Purus-class corvette, a Grajaú-class patrol vessel, and 2 Marlin-class harbor craft.
The Araguari is an Amazonas-class offshore patrol vessel (OPV) built by BAE Systems. Originally constructed for Trinidad and Tobago under a 2007 contract with Vosper Thornycroft, the contract was cancelled in 2010 due to delivery delays, and Brazil purchased the three completed ships in 2012 for £133 million. The 90.5-meter Araguari displaces 1,800 tonnes under standard load and up to 2,200 tonnes fully loaded. Powered by 2 shafts driving controllable-pitch propellers, it reaches a maximum speed of 46 km/h and possesses a 35-day unassisted mission endurance. The vessel runs a Terma Scanter 4100 2D X-band surveillance radar, a Kelvin Hughes SharpEye navigation system, and a BAE Systems CMS-1 combat system linked to an electro-optical director for target tracking. It carries a 30 mm cannon, two 25 mm guns, 2 rigid inflatable boats, and a flight deck rated for a medium-sized helicopter. The ship accommodates 80 standard crew members and 40 additional embarked troops.
The NS Elephant is a 2,500-tonne multipurpose warship built by China’s Wuhan Shipyard and delivered to Namibia in July 2012. It is armed with one 37 mm naval gun and two 14.5 mm twin-barreled machine guns. Designed primarily to monitor Namibia’s exclusive economic zone, the vessel can carry a maximum of 150 crew members, six 12-foot containers, or six 12-tonne armored personnel carriers.
The operational pairing of these platforms points to a broader trend of South Atlantic states taking ownership of regional security challenges like illegal fishing and piracy. The immediate, successful interception of the Fu Yuan Yu 9878 by the NS Elephant validates the practical focus of these bilateral training missions. Future collaboration is expected to focus on expanded information sharing and joint patrols to secure vital trade routes across the South Atlantic.