The Spanish Oceanic Patrol Vessel ESPS Rayo, as part of the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia – Operation Atalanta, has taken advantage of her second port visit in Djibouti to conduct training on 20 and 21 March 2013 with the Djiboutian Navy and Coast Guard. The Boarding Team of ESPS Rayo and Spani
IMO has pledged its support to assist in the implementation of a new Code of Conduct concerning the prevention and repression of piracy, armed robbery against ships and illicit maritime activity in west and central Africa, which has been adopted at a Ministerial meeting in Cotonou, Benin. The Code i
A Plymouth based frigate has played a starring role in a maritime security exercise off the coast of West Africa. Whilst on deployment on Atlantic Patrol Task (South) reassurance duties, the Type 23 frigate, HMS Argyll, has successfully completed the multi-national exercise, Saharan Express, off the
Iran Begins Construction of Destroyer Jamaran 2 Iran began construction of destroyer Jamaran 2, reports news agency IRINN referring to Iranian Navy Commander ADM Habibollah Sayyari. He added that construction of the destroyer Jamaran 2 was conducted by own efforts under direction of Iranian experts.
Some contributing nations support the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia – Operation Atalanta with specialised assets to counter piracy off the Horn of Africa. Estonia supports Operation Atalanta with a Vessel Protection Detachment (VPD) on board the French frigate FS Courbet. VPDs are ready to emba
Playing a key role in the EU Naval Force Somalia – Operation Atalanta are the Spanish Airforce P3-M Orion Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRA). The aircraft are based in Djibouti and have been a stalwart part of the operation since 3 January 2009, they provide an unbroken expertise ass
On 15 March, the German Autonomous Vessel Protection Detachment (AVPD), deployed with the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia Operation Atalanta, transferred the responsibility for the protection of the World Food Programme (WFP) ship MV Caroline Scan to an AVPD from Finland. The German AVPD returns
The multinational maritime exercise Saharan Express 2013 (SE-13) successfully concluded with post-sail discussions and a press conference, March 14. SE-13, which began March 7, is a maritime exercise designed to improve cooperation among participating nations in order to increase counter-piracy capa
Three Crew Members of US Navy EA-6B Prowler Jet Die in Aircraft Crash (UPDATE) All three crew members aboard a Navy EA-6B Prowler jet assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron 129 (VAQ-129) at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash., were killed when the aircraft crashed Monday morning in an unpopulate
Guided-missile destroyer USS Farragut (DDG 99) transited the Suez Canal departing the U.S. 5th Fleet Area of Responsibility March 8. Farragut was on station for six months conducting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and support missions for Operation Enduring Freedo
More than a dozen organizations and agencies gathered at the Admiral Faye Gassama Naval Base in Dakar, Senegal, to explore maritime security issues as part of Exercise Saharan Express 2013 (SE-13), March 11. The participants, both governmental and non-governmental, represent major stakeholders in We
It has been a busy couple of days for EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) flagship ESPS Méndez Núnez. The Spanish warship, which is conducting EU counter piracy patrols off the Somali coast, was once again able to provide much needed protection, this time to super tanker MV Smyrni, after the vessel was relea
Two More Littoral Combat Ships for US Navy Austal USA’s order backlog has grown by approximately US$681.7 million as a result of two additional Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) contract options being exercised by the United States Navy. US Navy Announces Response to Sequestration Secretary of the Navy Ray
The United States Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Savannah is hosting four members of the Liberia Maritime Authority as part of the Coast Guard-sponsored International Port Security program, intended to create a consistent security program for all U.S. ports, Wednesday through Friday. The delegates a
