French Navy command and replenishment ship FS MARNE left Toulon on 25 March and is heading towards the Gulf of Aden and the Somali Basin, with the future EU NAVFOR Force Commander, Rear-Admiral Dupuis and his staff on board. The FS MARNE carries a complement of 215 personnel on board, among whom are
Despite the legal grey area that surrounds floating armouries, they may be permitted if private maritime security companies prove they can fulfil licensing requirements. One PMSC told Lloyd’s List that almost all companies operating in the Gulf of Aden use “flotels” to store weapons, equipment and m
As of 23 March 2012 the Counter-Piracy force of the European Union (EUNAVFOR) which normally includes between 4 and 7 warships patrolling the Gulf of Aden and Horn of Africa will be joined by two new warships of the French navy; Frigate FS GEORGES LEYGUES and Amphibious Assault Ship FS DIXMUDE. FS G
On Friday 23 March 2012 the Council of the European Union confirmed its intention to extend the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) counter-piracy mission, Operation ATALANTA off the Somali coast until December 2014. At the same time the Council also extended the area of operations to include Somali coastal
The crews of two Cougar transport helicopters took part in Exercise Cold Response to prepare for their participation in NATO operation Ocean Shield. The helicopters supported the amphibious exercise in Norway with HNLMS Rotterdam as their base. This is the same ship that will be deployed, with Couga
The Marine Link reports that US Navy and US Coast Guard rescued a dhow in the Arabian Gulf. USS Firebolt (PC 10) and USCGC Maui (WPB 1304) conducted a search and rescue mission for survivors of a capsized Iranian cargo dhow during which the USS Firebolt spotted and rescued a survivor from the cargo
African sailors who spent 27 days aboard guided-missile frigate USS Simpson (FFG 56) as part of Africa Partnership Station (APS) 2012, departed Simpson, Feb. 27. The 10 APS shipriders came from the navies of Benin, Cameroon, Gabon, Nigeria, the Republic of Congo and Togo. The shipriders got aboard S
The Greek EU NAVFOR warship HS HYDRA used its recent port visit in Mombasa, Kenya, to support the Coast Province General Hospital and a local orphanage. In line with local support for countries of the Horn of Africa, HS HDRA provided medical supplies to the hospital. Medical supplies remain a scarce
Britain’s most advanced warship HMS Daring joined Allied navies in a concerted sweep of troubled waters for her first major operation east of Suez. The destroyer joined Australian, Pakistani, New Zealand and Yemeni ships and personnel on Operation Scimitar Anzac, which scoured the Red Sea, Gulf of A
Members of Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, embarked aboard guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey (DDG 97), met with Russian leadership aboard the Russian anti-submarine warfare ship Admiral Tributs, Feb. 19. The meeting gave the two naval leaders the opportunity to discuss counter-piracy operations and
On 22 February 2012, the EU NAVFOR combat support warship FGS BERLIN responded to a distress signal from a tanker that was under attack by suspected pirates in the Gulf of Aden. On receipt of the radio call the FGS BERLIN immediately dispatched her two Seaking helicopters to the area while she close
The Reuters reports that Iranian naval ships returned from Syria through the Suez Canal yesterday. The two warships entered the Suez Canal early in the morning and were expected to leave the canal same day afternoon. They had docked at Port of Tartous, Syria, in show of support for Syrian President.
Following his posting as Commander of the UK Counter-Piracy Task Group, Captain Gerry Northwood, Royal Navy, has written in The Times newspaper about how concerted efforts are helping reduce attacks on merchant vessels. Captain Northwood writes: “Eleven pirates on board with automatic weapons and ro
The flagship of Africa Partnership Station (APS) West 2012, USS Simpson (FFG 56), along with embarked staff, arrived in Tema, Ghana, Feb. 18 to begin their involvement with the APS 2012 Ghanaian hub. The hub, taking place after a recent port visit to Nigeria, brings training designed to strengthen A
