TEAMWORK
Sailors from Tunisia and the guided-missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) simulate clearing a ship during a training exercise on April 25. The Tunisian navy oper- ates with a level of professionalism that equals its European partners, and most of its officers supplement their training with developmental opportunities with navies and industry partners around the world. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Raymond Maddocks)
were not seaworthy, and the Tunisian navy’s workload dramatically increased as it attempted to rescue thousands of migrants from doomed crossing attempts.
REGIONAL INSTABILITY Te security challenges for Tunisia were compounded as the Arab Spring spread across the region. Te single most impact- ful event of this period for Tunisia was the fall of the Moammar Gadhafi regime in Libya in 2011. Te destabilization of Libya dramatically increased the need for enhanced maritime security because of
the amplified risk from smuggled
goods, weapons and militants to and from Libya and the exponential increase in the number of migrants taking to small vessels and attempting to cross the Medi- terranean.
After the success of the initial FMS cases in 2009, the United States increased foreign military investments in the Tunisian National Navy. Between 2010 and 2013, the Tunisian navy received 22 Response boats ranging in size from 25 to 44 feet,
along with a large support package. Te Tunisians also spent their own national funds to help purchase four 65-foot Arch- angels made by SAFE Boats International of Bremerton, Washington.
Te Tunisian navy consistently shaped the expansion of its fleet to mirror its opera- tional requirements. Te focus on building significant sustainment capabilities into its FMS cases reflected an institutional awareness of the essential role of main- tenance in capacity development. Te Tunisian government’s willingness to make a significant financial commitment to complement the United States’ invest- ment in a Tunisian institution reflects a level of partnership rarely seen with coun- tries receiving foreign military financing.
BUILDING ON SUCCESS For recipients of foreign military financ- ing from the United States, the concept of national defense self-sufficiency is a bit like a unicorn: People can picture what it looks like, but few have actually seen it materialize. Most recipients lack the will,
organizational capacity and resources to generate domestic solutions to defense- related challenges.
Te Tunisian navy took a step in that direction in 2015 with the commissioning of its first domestically produced frigate. Te vessel, named Al Istiqlal (Indepen- dence), was the product of a public-private effort that leveraged the local industrial base. Te procurement was run by the Tunisian navy and the entire effort, from funding to design and construction, was carried out domestically.
While the practical impact of vessels from this program will be minimal, at least initially, the symbolic meaning is signif- icant. Moreover, the level of effort and resources it took the Tunisian navy to actually build its own frigate is represen- tative of a highly determined and capable FMS partner.
So why has the FMS program with the Tunisian navy been so successful? Despite the significant maritime security
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ACQUISITION
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