Mobility support advisors from the 621st Contingency Response Wing at JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., last month visited Luanda, Angola, to exchange ideas with Angolan airmen on airfield security and flight-line safety. These air advisors from the 818th Mobility Support Advisory Squadron exchanged best practices in bird-avoidance-strike hazards, operational and crew-resource management, flight-line safety, and fuels safety during the Sept. 9-13 visit, according to McGuire’s Sept. 26 release. “The enrichment of our procedures in these areas is not only crucial for our operational capacity, but is also a critical aspect for our contribution to the promotion and development of our economy,” said Lt. Gen. Domingos Adriano da Silva Neto, Angolan air force chief of staff. This visit was part of US Africa Command’s ongoing efforts to build partnerships in the region. “Angola is one of only a few countries in Africa that can support international peacekeeping operations,” said Col. David Poage, AFAFRICA’s international relations division chief. “Exchanging knowledge and experience strengthens the relationship between our air forces,” he said.
Secretary of Defense Austin Lloyd III met with his counterparts from Australia, Japan and the Philippines to discuss bolstering defense ties on May 2. The discussion included plans for joint F-35 exercises with Japan and Australia in the coming years.