US 6th Fleet Commander's visit to Tunisia and Phoenix Express exercise: A new era in military cooperation

The visit of US 6th Fleet Commander Jeffrey Anderson to Tunisia on 16-17 September and the "Phoenix Express 2026" exercise held in the same period revealed that the military cooperation between the US and Tunisia maintains its importance within the framework of Mediterranean security and regional developments.

Tunisian experts state that the visit is a continuation of the traditional military cooperation between the two countries, but Washington's regional security approach goes beyond the fight against terrorism and includes maritime security, intelligence sharing and joint capacity development.

In September, Tunisia hosted the 21st exercise "Phoenix Express" under the leadership of the US 6th Fleet and under the auspices of the US Africa Command (AFRICOM). In the exercise, in which countries from Africa and Europe as well as the USA participated, training was provided in areas such as maritime security, information sharing, search and rescue and stopping ships.

Mediterranean security comes to the fore

Journalist Jamal al-Arfavi, an expert on Tunisia-US relations, said in his assessment to the AA correspondent that the visit of the US 6th Fleet Commander was "not an ordinary event" and that it was part of the broader security framework revealed by the "Phoenix Express" and "African Lion" exercises.

Arfavi said, "Military relations go beyond the fight against terrorism and include the security of the Mediterranean, intelligence coordination and management of the maritime space." he said.

Stating that the USA's promise to invest approximately 1 million dollars for the third phase of the Naval Center of Excellence in Binzert in the north of Tunisia on September 22 is one of the concrete examples of this cooperation in the field, Arfavi noted that the center is aimed to be used in the training of naval forces and special operations units and to become a regional center for multinational trainings.

Arfavi said that the US's understanding of regional security has expanded to include border security, transnational organized crime, smuggling, drug networks, irregular migration and maritime transportation security.

Stating that Tunisia's location between Algeria and Libya and on the southern coast of the Mediterranean gives the country strategic importance in this context, Arfavi emphasized that there is no concrete indication that Washington has positioned Tunisia to replace its lost military presence in the Sahel.

"There is no official indication or on-the-ground data showing that Washington is replacing Tunisia with its former bases in the Sahel or using it as a surveillance platform deep in the Sahara," Arfavi said. he said.

Libya and the Sahel factor

Journalist and academic Kamal bin Yunus said that the visit coincided with the fragile situation in Libya and a period of increasing international competition in North Africa and the Sahel.

Stating that Tunisia's location between Algeria and Libya, its proximity to Europe and its long-standing security relations with the USA make the country an important partner for Washington, Bin Yunus stated that "Libya is an important element in the USA's regional calculations".

Bin Yunus pointed out that Russia has increased its military cooperation with Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, while the direct military presence of Western countries in some parts of the region has declined.

Stating that these developments increase the strategic importance of Tunisia, Bin Yunus said, "This situation in itself is not evidence of a tendency towards the establishment of a new US military base in Tunisia." made his assessment.

Tunisia stays away from great power rivalry

Former Tunisian Foreign Minister Ahmed Vennisi also stated that the visit of the US 6th Fleet Commander does not mean a radical change in Tunisia's foreign and security policy.

Vennisi said Tunisia-US relations have traditionally been based on "high levels of trust" and that joint military exercises are not new.

Stating that Tunisia follows technological developments and changes in military doctrines and improves the training opportunities of officers and soldiers thanks to these exercises, Vennisi stated that Tunisia does not want to be involved in conflicts between great powers regarding the USA's competition with Russia and China.

Vennisi said, "We believe that the region will remain free of tension if it avoids getting involved in conflicts between major powers." he said.

According to experts' evaluations, the visit of the US 6th Fleet Commander and the "Phoenix Express" exercise show that the Tunisia-US military partnership continues in the areas of maritime security, intelligence sharing, training and joint capacity development.

While it is stated that cooperation has gained importance in the context of developments in Libya and the Sahel and the increasing influence of Russia and China in the region, it is emphasized that there is no concrete indication that a new US military base will be established in Tunisia or that the country will replace the former US military presence in the Sahel.