Air chiefs from 17 African nations are convening in Douala, Cameroon, this week with US Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa leadership for a symposium on how African air forces can best work together to respond to regional challenges, according to a release. USAFE-AFAFRICA is co-hosting the event with the Cameroon air force. Gen. Frank Gorenc, USAFE-AFAFRICA commander, will deliver remarks at the Sept. 9 opening ceremony, states the release. Lt. Gen. Darryl Roberson, 3rd Air Force commander, is also scheduled to attend the symposium, as is Heidi Grant, the Air Force’s deputy undersecretary for international affairs. She’s slated to deliver remarks at the closing ceremony on Sept. 11. Roundtable discussions will deal with air force development strategies, airfield security, countering violent extremist organizations, formalizing a network of African airmen, and peacekeeping operations. Scheduled to participate are the air chiefs from Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Gabon, Ghana, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, and Uganda.
Amid NATO’s continued push to ramp up air defenses in Eastern Europe, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall swung by seven allied countries to boost relations last week, including those on Russia’s and Ukraine’s doorstep.