By James Amoh Junior
Accra, July 30, GNA- Ghana has entered the advisory phase of a United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) programme to strengthen defence logistics, operational readiness and military cooperation.
The move follows the country’s completion of the initial assessment stage under AFRICOM’s Assess, Advise, Advocate and Integrate (A3I) capacity-building programme.
Brigadier General Paul G. Filcek, Director of Logistics at U.S. Africa Command, announced this during a digital press briefing on the sidelines of the 2026 Africa Logistics and Communications Symposium (ALCS26) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Responding to a question from the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Brig. Gen. Filcek described Ghana as “a robust partner to USAFRICOM” and confirmed that the country had completed the assessment phase and progressed to the “advise and advocacy” stage of the initiative.
He said the new phase would facilitate continued military-to-military engagements and cooperation in areas including logistics, air mobility and defence capability development.
“USAFRICOM has continual military-to-military engagements that yield significant value continuously,” he said.
Brig. Gen. Filcek said modern defence operations depended on the effective integration of logistics and communications, noting that both systems determined the ability of armed forces to respond effectively to security challenges.
“Logistics and communications are the decisive edge because they set the limits of our operational capabilities,” he said.
He said contemporary threats, including human trafficking, illegal narcotics trafficking and transnational crime, required countries to move personnel, equipment and supplies quickly while maintaining reliable communications over wide distances.
The AFRICOM official said investments in logistics systems, communications infrastructure and regional interoperability would improve military readiness and also create conditions that supported commercial investment and broader economic development.
“When our partners succeed, we succeed,” he said.
The A3I programme is designed to assess partner nations’ logistics capabilities, provide advisory support and promote greater integration among security forces through tailored cooperation.
The Ghana announcement was made during ALCS26, which brought together representatives from more than 40 African countries and 27 private-sector companies to discuss logistics, communications and emerging technologies.
The symposium was jointly hosted by AFRICOM and Ethiopia’s Ministry of Defence.
Mark Mitchell, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce, said the event demonstrated growing cooperation between security institutions and commercial partners in supporting Africa’s long-term economic development.
“The African Logistics and Communications Symposium offered a truly continent-wide platform – a rare chance to put U.S. companies in front of nearly the entire whole of Africa at once,” he said.
Mr Mitchell said security remained essential for sustainable investment, infrastructure development and economic growth, adding that United States companies were supporting African countries to develop secure logistics and communications systems.
He said the United States Government was also promoting strategic infrastructure investment in Africa through partnerships with the African Union and the private sector, with emphasis on transport, communications and digital infrastructure.
The symposium also highlighted the increasing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in improving logistics and supply chain management.
Mr Mitchell said AI could support route optimisation, predictive fleet maintenance, customs processing and demand forecasting, which were important to enhancing trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He urged African countries to prioritise data sovereignty by maintaining ownership and control of national data while adopting advanced technologies through trusted partnerships.
“Real AI sovereignty means owning and using best-in-class technology for the benefit of your people and nation,” he said.
Brig. Gen. Filcek said innovation was evolving rapidly and no single emerging technology could be identified as the most transformative.
He, however, identified modular expeditionary capabilities, predictive maintenance, AI-assisted logistics, secure trade corridors and investments in local supply chains as areas likely to influence Africa’s defence capabilities over the next decade.
He disclosed that AFRICOM was already using generative AI under the A3I programme to support logistics analysis and generate country-specific logistics reports for partner nations.
Ghana’s advancement into the advisory phase of the A3I programme is expected to deepen ongoing defence cooperation with the United States and support efforts to improve logistics planning, operational capability and interoperability with regional and international partners.
GNA
Reporter: James Amoh Junior
Email: [email protected]
Edited by: Kenneth Sackey