The Italian-flagged Operation Atalanta flagship ITS Carabiniere and German FGS Erfurt conducted replenishments at sea (RAS) with U.S. Navy’s USNS Patuxent on November 10 and 13, 2015
After refuelling with USNS Patuxent, FGS Erfurt continued with her patrols towards the Gulf of Aden, whilst ITS Carabiniere commenced her participation in the deployment of Fishery Aggregating Devices (FADs) off the Somali Coast.
The FAD deployment is an UN initiative to help develop/enhance fishing grounds off the coast of Somalia for the Somali people.
A RAS takes on average two hours to complete and requires careful co-ordination between the ships involved to ensure that the fuel and other stores are transferred safely.
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Image: EUNAVFOR