Strategic Plan
About AFRICOM
U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM)
U.S. Africa Command, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, is one of 11 U.S. Department of Defense combatant commands, each with a geographic or functional mission that provides command and control of military forces in peace and war. AFRICOM employs the broad-reaching diplomacy, development, and defense approach to foster interagency efforts and help negate the drivers of conflict and extremism in Africa.
A full-spectrum combatant command, AFRICOM is responsible for all U.S. Department of Defense operations, exercises, and security cooperation on the African continent, its island nations, and surrounding waters. The area of responsibility consists of 53 African states, more than 800 ethnic groups, over 1,000 languages, vast natural resources, a land mass of 11.2 million square miles (three-and-a-half times the size of the U.S.), and nearly 19,000 miles of coastland.
AFRICOM began initial operations Oct. 1, 2007, and became fully operational Oct. 1, 2008.
Plan period: from 01/10/2007
U.S. Africa Command, with partners, counters transnational threats and malign actors, strengthens security forces and responds to crises in order to advance U.S. national interests and promote regional security, stability and prosperity.
Plan submitted by:
Owen Ambur
Our Approach ~ U.S. Africa Command most effectively advances U.S. national security interests through focused, sustained engagement with partners in support of our shared security objectives. The command's operations, exercises and security cooperation programs support U.S. Government foreign policy, primarily through military-to-military activities and assistance programs. These activities, coordinated with U.S. embassy country teams and each African partner nation, build strong, enduring partnerships to improve security and stability in Africa.
Our core mission of assisting African states and regional organizations to strengthen their defense capabilities better enables Africans to address their security threats and reduces threats to U.S. interests. We concentrate our efforts on contributing to the development of capable and professional militaries that respect human rights, adhere to the rule of law, and more effectively contribute to stability in Africa.
Analysis
Competitive Environment
Competitors
U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM)
U.S. Africa Command, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, is one of 11 U.S. Department of Defense combatant commands, each with a geographic or functional mission that provides command and control of military forces in peace and war. AFRICOM employs the broad-reaching diplomacy, development, and defense approach to foster interagency efforts and help negate the drivers of conflict and extremism in Africa.
A full-spectrum combatant command, AFRICOM is responsible for all U.S. Department of Defense operations, exercises, and security cooperation on the African continent, its island nations, and surrounding waters. The area of responsibility consists of 53 African states, more than 800 ethnic groups, over 1,000 languages, vast natural resources, a land mass of 11.2 million square miles (three-and-a-half times the size of the U.S.), and nearly 19,000 miles of coastland.
AFRICOM began initial operations Oct. 1, 2007, and became fully operational Oct. 1, 2008.
Direction
Vision
Regional security, stability and prosperity
Mission
U.S. Africa Command, with partners, counters transnational threats and malign actors, strengthens security forces and responds to crises in order to advance U.S. national interests and promote regional security, stability and prosperity.
Values
Stability
Security
Prosperity
Goals
Exercises
U.S. Africa Command and its component and subordinate forces conduct training with their partner nation counterparts, representing U.S. core values during the command’s joint and combined exercises. The exercises conducted enhance partner nation capabilities, promote regional security and interoperability, and reinforce a professional military ethos among African military partners.
For example, Flintlock is an annual exercise to foster regional cooperation to enable our African partners to stabilize North and West Africa.
Africa Endeavor is designed to enhance collaboration between African, U.S. and other stakeholders on communications interoperability, doctrinal guidance, and capacity-building activities.
Cutlass Express is one of three express-series exercises, led by U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa, focused on maritime domain awareness and law enforcement while promoting national and regional maritime security.
Objectives:
- Justified Accord
- Obangame Express
- African Lion
- Cutlass Express
- Flintlock
- Phoenix Express
Security Cooperation
Goal Statement: Improve the capabilities of defense institutions
Security Cooperation Programs ~ The command offers a suite of institutional capacity-building programs designed to improve the capabilities of defense institutions in the areas of accountability, rule of law and professional military education, while providing a framework within which the command engages with regional partners in cooperative military activities and development.
Security Cooperation programs include International Military and Education Training, which exposes foreign students to U.S. professional military organizations and procedures and the manner in which military organizations function under civilian control, and Africa Partnership Station, which builds maritime safety and security by increasing maritime awareness, response capabilities and infrastructure.
Conditions for success of our security cooperation programs and activities in Africa are established through hundreds of engagements supporting a wide range of activities, including humanitarian assistance.
Objectives:
- Military Education & Training
- Humanitarian & Civic Assistance
- Humanitarian Assistance
- Pandemic Response
- HIV/AIDS
- Foreign Disaster Relief
- Disaster Preparedness
- Land Mines
- Maritime Safety & Security
- Excess Property
- Endemic Conditions
Additional Programs
Goal Statement: Enhance security and stability throughout Africa
U.S. Africa Command continually engages through a wide range of engagement activities to enhance security and stability throughout Africa. These efforts include implementing Women, Peace and Security initiatives to better leverage the capabilities of both men and women to achieve shared goals, and the Africa Enlisted Development Strategy, which aims to standardize existing African professional military education institutions that can train not only their own nation’s forces but also those of neighboring countries and create or improve regional centers of excellence.
Objectives:
- Islamic State
- Coordination
- Military Education
- Rewards
- Women, Peace, & Security
- Communication
- Training
- Challenges & Opportunities
- Additional Activities