NAFTI’s Final Year Multimedia Student and Naval Officer Designs Training Simulations for the Ghana Navy

Leading Seaman (LS) Yahaya Ibrahim of the Bachelor of Fine Art pioneering class of the Multimedia Production Department on Tuesday, September 22, 2020 presented his final year project on the topic "Computer-Aided Approach to Fleet Formations and Maneuvers in Support of Naval Training" to the Ghana Navy High Command. The presentation was chaired by the Chief Staff Officer of the Navy headquarters (CSO), Commodore Godwin Livinus Bessing, other senior officers including Commodore Maxwell Arhen the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) the Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC), Directors of the Headquarters and other officers under the auspices of the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Seth Amoama were all present.

At the presentation, LS Yahaya Ibrahim demonstrated how his project dovetails into the vision of the Chief of Naval Staff in positioning the Ghana Navy in being highly responsive to it's mandate of a safe and secure maritime domain while maintaining the time-tested traditions of the Navy.

Presentation on Fleet Formation and Maneuvers

In his presentation, LS Yahaya Ibrahim mentioned how Fleet Formation and Maneuvers are crucial to naval operations (during peace and war times). Referencing the story of Korean Admiral Yi Sun Sin who stood against 133 Japanese war ships with just 13 war ships and emerged victorious by disabling and destroying 31 out of the 133 warships without losing any ship of his own fleet. His achievement according to LS Yahaya was as a result of his superior understanding of fleet formations and maneuvers against his adversaries. Citing the lack of simulations for naval training, cost of physical training on ships, depletion of equipment, and the benefit of simulations in enhancing the operations of the Ghana Navy, his project therefore focused on harnessing the potential of 3-dimensional (3D) modeling and simulation in complementing instructional materials in order to make accessible fleet formations and reduce training cost.

Under the supervision of Mr. Samuel Owusu Agyeman-Duah and Tactical Instructors from the Naval Communications Training School, he modelled and simulated some naval fleets formations and Maneuvers using existing naval ships. Also, in his presentation, LS Yahaya explored the prospects of 3-Dimensional Modelling and how it could benefit the navy in other areas such as training, logistics, health and others such as developing a virtual museum for the Ghana Navy.

At the end of his presentation, LS Yahaya expressed profusely his appreciation to the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Seth Amoama for the permission and opportunity to undertake the project and make the presentation, to the Commandant, Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC), Rear Admiral M. K. Beick Baffour, the Director Public Relations Ghana Armed Forces, Colonel Eric Aggrey-Quarshie, Director Naval Training, Captain (GN) James Agambire and the Command Coxwain Eastern Naval Command FCPO Kpormego Joseph Kwashie and Instructors who help him in diverse ways to make the project successful.

Collaboration between NAFTI and the Ghana Navy

Commodore Godwin Livinus Bessing, was impressed and appreciative of the work executed by LS Yahaya and the Multimedia Production Department of NAFTI in making relevant knowledge in addressing the needs of the Ghana Navy. He also hinted that it was part of the vision of the Ghana Navy to have such projects as part of its training for officers and men. As a result of the good work done, he further expressed the intent of the Ghana Navy in collaborating with NAFTI for their mutual benefit and also harness the training acquired by LS Yahaya to the benefit of the Ghana Navy.

The delegation from NAFTI was led by Mr. Kofi Atta Yorke, the Head of Department of Multimedia Production, Mr Kwamena Aboagye, the Head of Production, Mr Samuel Owusu Agyeman-Duah, the project supervisor, Dr Sela Kodjo Adjei, Mr Michael Kyei Kissi, both lecturers at the department and two national service persons.