The nucleus of the Ghana Navy is the Gold Coast Naval Volunteer Force formed during World War II. It was established by the colonial British administration to conduct seaward patrols to ensure that the coastal waters of the colony were free from mines. Following Ghana's attainment of independent nationhood on 6 March 1957 from the UK, the country's military was reorganized and expanded to meet its new challenges. A new volunteer force was raised in June, 1959 with headquarters at Takoradi in the Western Region of Ghana. The men were drawn from the existing Gold Coast Regiment of Infantry. They were under the command of British Royal Navy officers on secondment. On 29 July 1959, the Ghana Navy was established by an Act of Parliament. The force had two divisions based at Takoradi and Accra respectively.[1] On 1 May 1962, the British Navy formed the Royal Navy Element of the British Joint Services Training Team, thus changing the nature of its relationship with the Ghana Navy. The first Chief of the Naval Staff was Captain D. A. Foreman, a retired British Naval Officer. He was granted a Presidential Commission as a Ghana naval officer in the rank of commodore.[2] In September 1961 Nkrumah terminated the employment of British officers in the armed forces: the first Ghanaian to become Chief of the Naval Staff was Rear Admiral David Animle Hansen, who was transferred from the Ghana army to head the navy. On September 14 1990, the GNS Achimota was hit by NPFL artillery while on a fact-finding mission near Monrovia. As a result, 2 Ghanaian sailors and 3 Nigerian nurses were killed, and the Ghanaian Air Force retaliated with airstrikes.[3]
Organization
The Ghana Navy command structure consists of the Naval Headquarters at Burma Camp, Accra. There are three operational commands, the Western Naval Command at Sekondi, the Eastern Naval Command at Tema and The Naval Training Command at Nutekpor-Sogakope in the Volta Region.
46.8m patrol vessels ordered from China's Poly Technologies subsidiary of China Poly Group Corporation in 2011 and delivered to GN (Ghana Navy) in October 2011. The boats were commissioned 21 February 2012.[5]
Name
Pennant
Builder
Launched
Commissioned
Status
GNS Blika
P34
Qingdao Qianjin Shipyard, China
1 April 2011?
21 Feb 2012
Active
GNS Garinga
P35
Qingdao Qianjin Shipyard, China
1 April 2011?
21 Feb 2012
Active
GNS Chemle
P36
Qingdao Qianjin Shipyard, China
1 April 2011?
21 Feb 2012
Active
GNS Ehwor
P37
Qingdao Qianjin Shipyard, China
1 April 2011?
21 Feb 2012
Active
Balsam-class patrol ships
The patrol ship GNS Anzone (P30) with GNS Achimota (P28) in the Gulf of Guinea in October 2005.
U. S. Coast Guard vessels. After serving the USCG for 57 years, Woodrush was decommissioned on March 2, 2001, and sold to GN (Ghana Navy) to serve as GNS Anzone P30.
U. S. Coast Guard. In 2008, the Ghana Navy acquired three such boats from the US Navy. They were handed over to the GN Western Naval Command in Sekondi-Takoradi. On 13 March 2010, presented four additional boats.
Others
GNS Achimota (P28) – Flagship of the Ghana Navy. German built FPB 57-class patrol ship (Launched: 14 March 1979, commissioned: 27 March 1981)
GNS David Hansen – Named after David Animle Hansen, first Ghanaian Chief of Staff of the Ghana Navy. A single 20 m-long ex-US Navy PB Mk III inshore patrol craft that was built in the 1970s and transferred to Ghana in 2001.
On 10 December 2010, the Ghana Navy received six new speedboats with complete accessories from Ghana Red Cross to facilitate its rescue mission in the country. The accessories included six Yamahaoutboard motors, life jackets, life lines, first aid equipment and maintenance tools.
Past naval vessels
The initial fleet of the navy consisted of two Ham-class minesweepers, GNS Yogaga and GNS Afadzato. They were recommissioned on 31 October 1959. They were joined by four T43-class minesweepers from the Soviet Union between 1961 and 1964, three Komar-class missile boats between 1967 and 1970 and one more in 1980, and two Yurka-class minesweepers in 1981–82.[8] In 1965, a frigate was ordered by the government of President Nkrumah, intended to also serve as the presidential yacht. The warship was laid down by Yarrow Shipbuilders in Scotland under the name Black Star, but when Nkrumah was deposed in a coup in the following year, the project was cancelled. The ship was eventually bought by the Royal Navy, commissioned as HMS MERMAID, and then sold to Malaysia as the KD Hang Tuah.[9]
^ abcde. Official website. Ghana Armed Forces. Archived from the original on 2007-08-27. Retrieved 2007-06-11.
^S. Addoe, General History of Ghana Armed Forces: a reference volume, 2005, pp.466-7
^Adebajo, Adeyeke (2002). Liberia's Civil War: Nigeria, ECOMOG, and Regional Security in West Africa. Lynne Rienner. p. 79. ISBN9781588260529.
^Addae, S. Kojo (2005). A Short History of Ghana Armed Forces. Ministry of Defence of Ghana Armed Forces. ISBN978-9988-8335-1-0.
^Navy to secure country's maritime boundaries. ghana.gov.gh.
^Germany delivers two of its decommissioned FACs to the Armed Forces of Ghana September 15, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. Germanydefence.com
^ abGhana navy takes delivery of two German fast attack craft, maritime security
^(PDF). National Reconciliation Commission Report Volume 4 Chapter 1. Ghana government. October 2004. pp. 3 & 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 16, 2006. Retrieved 2007-06-11.
^Marriott, Leo (1990). Royal Navy Frigates since 1945, Second Edition. London: Ian Allan Ltd. p. 102. ISBN0-7110-1915-0.
^ ab"Ghana – Republic of Ghana Navy". The International Encyclopedia of Uniform Insignia around the world. WORLD INSIGNIA COLLECTORS UNION. Retrieved 2007-06-11.
External links
Ghana Navy uniform insignia
Media related to Ghana Navy at Wikimedia Commons
August 18, 2023
ghana, navy, naval, warfare, organizational, military, branch, ghanaian, armed, forces, ghanaian, navy, along, with, ghanaian, army, ghanaian, force, make, ghanaian, armed, forces, which, controlled, ghanaian, ministry, defence, founded29, july, 1959, years, c. The Ghana Navy GN is the naval warfare organizational military branch of the Ghanaian Armed Forces GAF The Ghanaian Navy along with the Ghanaian Army GA and Ghanaian Air Force GHF make up the Ghanaian Armed Forces GAF which are controlled by the Ghanaian Ministry of Defence MoD Ghana NavyFounded29 July 1959 64 years Country GhanaTypeNavyRoleNaval warfarePart ofGhana Armed ForcesGN HQAccra Greater Accra GhanaColorsUltramarine Iceberg and Blue Gray EngagementsFirst Liberian Civil WarCommandersChiefs of the Naval StaffRear Admiral Issah YakubuInsigniaNaval Ensign 1957 1964 1966 presentNaval Ensign 1964 1966 Contents 1 History 2 Organization 2 1 Western Naval Command 2 2 Eastern Naval Command 2 3 Departments 3 Roles 4 Equipment 4 1 Current active naval vessels 4 1 1 Snake class patrol vessels 4 1 2 Balsam class patrol ships 4 1 3 Chamsuri class patrol boat 4 1 4 Albatros class fast attack craft 4 1 5 Warrior class Gepard class fast attack craft 4 1 6 USCG Defender class boat 4 1 7 Others 4 2 Past naval vessels 5 Future plans 6 Rank structure 6 1 Officers 6 2 Ratings 7 References 8 External linksHistory EditThe nucleus of the Ghana Navy is the Gold Coast Naval Volunteer Force formed during World War II It was established by the colonial British administration to conduct seaward patrols to ensure that the coastal waters of the colony were free from mines Following Ghana s attainment of independent nationhood on 6 March 1957 from the UK the country s military was reorganized and expanded to meet its new challenges A new volunteer force was raised in June 1959 with headquarters at Takoradi in the Western Region of Ghana The men were drawn from the existing Gold Coast Regiment of Infantry They were under the command of British Royal Navy officers on secondment On 29 July 1959 the Ghana Navy was established by an Act of Parliament The force had two divisions based at Takoradi and Accra respectively 1 On 1 May 1962 the British Navy formed the Royal Navy Element of the British Joint Services Training Team thus changing the nature of its relationship with the Ghana Navy The first Chief of the Naval Staff was Captain D A Foreman a retired British Naval Officer He was granted a Presidential Commission as a Ghana naval officer in the rank of commodore 2 In September 1961 Nkrumah terminated the employment of British officers in the armed forces the first Ghanaian to become Chief of the Naval Staff was Rear Admiral David Animle Hansen who was transferred from the Ghana army to head the navy On September 14 1990 the GNS Achimota was hit by NPFL artillery while on a fact finding mission near Monrovia As a result 2 Ghanaian sailors and 3 Nigerian nurses were killed and the Ghanaian Air Force retaliated with airstrikes 3 Organization EditThe Ghana Navy command structure consists of the Naval Headquarters at Burma Camp Accra There are three operational commands the Western Naval Command at Sekondi the Eastern Naval Command at Tema and The Naval Training Command at Nutekpor Sogakope in the Volta Region Western Naval Command Edit Ghana Navy sailor a in rigid hulled inflatable boatThe command comprises the following elements 1 HQ Western Naval Command Ghana Navy Fleet The Naval Dockyard Complex Ghana Navy Stores Depot Naval Base Sekondi West Command The Naval Trade Training SchoolEastern Naval Command Edit Members of the Ghanaian Navy learning maritime law enforcement tacticsThe command comprises the following elements 1 HQ Eastern Naval Command Basic and Leadership Training School Naval Base Tema Ghana Navy Band Tema 4 Departments Edit The navy is organized into the following departments 1 Operations Administration Training Logistics Supply Technical Intelligence and Research and DevelopmentRoles EditThe Ghana Navy fulfills a broad range of roles These include 1 The monitoring control and surveillance of fishing activities Maritime Presence in the West African Waters and Naval Support in the Region and Crises Areas when requested Surveillance Effective Patrol and Control of Ghana s Territorial Waters and Economic Zone Evacuation operations of Ghanaian and other nationals from troubled spots Fighting and checking criminal activities such as piracy armed robbery at sea smuggling of illicit drugs stowaways and dissident activities Disaster and humanitarian relief operations search and rescue and other mercy missions at sea Assisting civil authorities such as the Ghana Police the Volta River Authority the Electoral Commission Ghana Ports and Harbours AuthorityEquipment EditCurrent active naval vessels Edit Snake class patrol vessels Edit 46 8m patrol vessels ordered from China s Poly Technologies subsidiary of China Poly Group Corporation in 2011 and delivered to GN Ghana Navy in October 2011 The boats were commissioned 21 February 2012 5 Name Pennant Builder Launched Commissioned Status GNS Blika P34 Qingdao Qianjin Shipyard China 1 April 2011 21 Feb 2012 ActiveGNS Garinga P35 Qingdao Qianjin Shipyard China 1 April 2011 21 Feb 2012 ActiveGNS Chemle P36 Qingdao Qianjin Shipyard China 1 April 2011 21 Feb 2012 ActiveGNS Ehwor P37 Qingdao Qianjin Shipyard China 1 April 2011 21 Feb 2012 ActiveBalsam class patrol ships Edit The patrol ship GNS Anzone P30 with GNS Achimota P28 in the Gulf of Guinea in October 2005 U S Coast Guard vessels After serving the USCG for 57 years Woodrush was decommissioned on March 2 2001 and sold to GN Ghana Navy to serve as GNS Anzone P30 Name Pennant Builder Launched Commissioned Transferred Status ex GNS Anzone shark P30 Marine Iron amp Ship Builders 28 April 1944 22 September 1944 2001 Active USCGC Woodrush WLB 407 GNS Bonsu whale P31 Marine Iron amp Ship Builders 31 December 1943 26 July 1944 2001 Active USCGC Sweetbrier WLB 405 Chamsuri class patrol boat Edit Republic of Korea Navy vessels Chamsuri means Sea Dolphin Name Pennant Builder Launched Commissioned Transferred Status ex GNS Stephen Otu P33 Korea Tacoma Hyundai Heavy Industries Hanjin Heavy Industries July 1980 21 January 2011 Active PKM 237 Albatros class fast attack craft Edit German navy Purchased in 2005 at 35 million for the two ships Name Pennant Builder Launched Commissioned Transferred Status ex GNS Sebo leopard P27 Fr Lurssen Werft GmbH amp Co 19 September 1979 2 May 1980 2010 ActiveGNS Dzata lion P31 Fr Lurssen Werft GmbH amp Co 19 September 1979 4 December 1979 2010 ActiveWarrior class Gepard class fast attack craft Edit German navy S74 Nerz and S77 Dachs Purchased at 37 million for the two ships 6 Name Pennant Builder Launched Commissioned Transferred Status ex GNS Yaa Asantewaa Fr Lurssen Werft GmbH amp Co 14 July 1983 31 July 2012 7 ActiveGNS Naa Gbewaa Fr Lurssen Werft GmbH amp Co 22 March 1984 31 July 2012 7 ActiveUSCG Defender class boat Edit USCG Defender class boatU S Coast Guard In 2008 the Ghana Navy acquired three such boats from the US Navy They were handed over to the GN Western Naval Command in Sekondi Takoradi On 13 March 2010 presented four additional boats Others Edit GNS Achimota P28 Flagship of the Ghana Navy German built FPB 57 class patrol ship Launched 14 March 1979 commissioned 27 March 1981 GNS Yogaga P29 German built FPB 57 class patrol ship 1979 GNS David Hansen Named after David Animle Hansen first Ghanaian Chief of Staff of the Ghana Navy A single 20 m long ex US Navy PB Mk III inshore patrol craft that was built in the 1970s and transferred to Ghana in 2001 On 10 December 2010 the Ghana Navy received six new speedboats with complete accessories from Ghana Red Cross to facilitate its rescue mission in the country The accessories included six Yamaha outboard motors life jackets life lines first aid equipment and maintenance tools Past naval vessels Edit The initial fleet of the navy consisted of two Ham class minesweepers GNS Yogaga and GNS Afadzato They were recommissioned on 31 October 1959 They were joined by four T43 class minesweepers from the Soviet Union between 1961 and 1964 three Komar class missile boats between 1967 and 1970 and one more in 1980 and two Yurka class minesweepers in 1981 82 8 In 1965 a frigate was ordered by the government of President Nkrumah intended to also serve as the presidential yacht The warship was laid down by Yarrow Shipbuilders in Scotland under the name Black Star but when Nkrumah was deposed in a coup in the following year the project was cancelled The ship was eventually bought by the Royal Navy commissioned as HMS MERMAID and then sold to Malaysia as the KD Hang Tuah 9 Future plans EditThe Ghanaian Defence Minister Lieutenant General J H Smith announced in June 2010 that over 10 ships would be acquired as part of a short term plan to re equip the navy and defend Ghana s exclusive economic zone Rank structure EditMain article Military ranks of Ghana Officers Edit The GN officers in descending order of seniority 10 Rank group General flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet Ghana Navyvte Admiral Vice admiral Rear admiral Commodore Captain Commander Lieutenant commander Lieutenant Sub lieutenantRatings Edit The GN ratings in descending order of seniority 10 Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted Ghana Navyvte No insignia No insigniaChief petty officer Petty officer first class Petty officer second class Leading seaman Able seaman Ordinary seamanReferences Edit a b c d e Historical Background of The Ghana Navy Official website Ghana Armed Forces Archived from the original on 2007 08 27 Retrieved 2007 06 11 S Addoe General History of Ghana Armed Forces a reference volume 2005 pp 466 7 Adebajo Adeyeke 2002 Liberia s Civil War Nigeria ECOMOG and Regional Security in West Africa Lynne Rienner p 79 ISBN 9781588260529 Addae S Kojo 2005 A Short History of Ghana Armed Forces Ministry of Defence of Ghana Armed Forces ISBN 978 9988 8335 1 0 Navy to secure country s maritime boundaries ghana gov gh Germany delivers two of its decommissioned FACs to the Armed Forces of Ghana Archived September 15 2014 at the Wayback Machine Germanydefence com a b Ghana navy takes delivery of two German fast attack craft maritime security The Security Services PDF National Reconciliation Commission Report Volume 4 Chapter 1 Ghana government October 2004 pp 3 amp 4 Archived from the original PDF on October 16 2006 Retrieved 2007 06 11 Marriott Leo 1990 Royal Navy Frigates since 1945 Second Edition London Ian Allan Ltd p 102 ISBN 0 7110 1915 0 a b Ghana Republic of Ghana Navy The International Encyclopedia of Uniform Insignia around the world WORLD INSIGNIA COLLECTORS UNION Retrieved 2007 06 11 External links EditOfficial page Ghana Navy uniform insignia Media related to Ghana Navy at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ghana Navy amp oldid 1088525472, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
