Commanding Officer of Danish HMDS Absalon, Commander Per Moll Petersen paid a visit to Allied Maritime Command – MARCOM to deliver the Staff his mission debrief regarding his most recent deployment in NATO Operation Ocean Shield.
During this visit, MARCOM Chief of Staff, Rear Admiral Giorgio Lazio received Commander Per Moll Petersen and his party and praised their work during the deployment in the Gulf of Aden.
HDMS Absalon’s 2015 participation represented the 14th deployment of a Danish crew in support of NATO Operation Ocean Shield. 72 days deployment of which 59 at sea allowed the ship to reach several goals, including important engagement with regional and local leaders and the population, enhancing the cooperation between NATO and Somalia.
Another important milestone of this deployment were the opportunities to support on regional capacities with the Somalia Coast Guard in cooperation with European Union mission Eucap Nestor, a civilian mission which assists host countries develop self-sustaining capacity for enhancement of maritime security.
During this deployment, the Danish ship further developed cooperation with the international forces deployed in the region, Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) and EU NAVFOR Somalia. HDMS Absalon had the opportunity to exercise with the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Forces, Colombian Navy, Republic of Korean Navy and the People’s Liberation Army Navy.
Commander Petersen was accompanied by Lieutenant-Commander Henrik Surlykke Lund and Lieutenant-Commander Rasmus Flak Olesen.