Navy (Benin), Navy
Assessment
In 1978 the decision to form a naval force was made and four Zhuk-class patrol craft were subsequently acquired from the USSR. These are now reported to have been sold for scrap. The operational status of the single 70-tonne French built replacement launched in 1988 is also doubtful and by 2000 the Benin Navy had become practically non-operational. Subsequently, in that year, two 25 m patrol craft armed with heavy machine guns were donated by the Chinese government. The vessels may be adequate to cover Benin's very limited inshore patrol requirements if they were serviceable.As the coastline of Benin is no more than 120 km long, the patrol craft can cover the whole coast in a little over two hours. There is, however, still no real offshore capability to patrol the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) against illegal fishing and provide cover against any threat to the small, but economically important, offshore oil industry.Other international co-operation includes a visit by United States Coast Guard cutter Bear in 2005, which provided assistance to maintain vessels operated by the Benin Navy, such as the Boston Whalers used for riverine patrol operations under Theatre Security Cooperation (TSC) mission. Such visits help navies develop their own indigenous capabilities and these efforts are designed to foster mutual commitments to regional stability, advance multi-national interoperability and deter potential adversaries. West Africa's growing piracy threat at sea and in port is particularly acute in Benin. More than 20 incidents were reported in the first half of 2011, compared
Assessment
Benin does not have an offshore combat capability.
| The complete article appears in the following publication: | |
|---|---|
| Publication Title | Sentinel Security Assessment - West Africa |
| Publication date | Sep 28, 2011 |
| Section | Navy |
| Publication synopsis | Jane's Sentinel Country Risk Assessments provide you with in-depth, up-to-date and accurate data and analysis on the latest events and trends in political, security and economic affairs. They provide a comprehensive one-stop information source covering 190 states and 30 territories. Jane's worldwide intelligence network of over 120 expert contributors delivers incisive and impartial analysis to help you protect your economic, strategic and political interests.
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