141118-N-LV331-003 PRETORIA, South Africa (Nov. 18, 2014) Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Ray Mabus meets with Chief of the South African National Defense Force Gen. Solly Zacharia Shoke to thank South Africa for their leadership in building regional partnerships, peacekeeping operations, and their support of counter-piracy operations in the region. South Africa is currently hosting the final planning conference for exercise Cutlass Express, a maritime exercise designed to improve interoperability between nations in the region, which is vital to maritime security. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Armando Gonzales/Released)