Whilst conducting counter-piracy patrols in the Indian Ocean, EU Naval Force flag ship, ESPS Galicia, took the opportunity to sail close to World Food Programme (WFP) Motor Vessel, (MV) Douro, as it sailed along the coast on its way to deliver food aid to the Somali people. MV Douro currently has an
During their recent port visit to Port Victoria in the Seychelles crew members from EU Naval Force warship, FGS Bayern, provided sea training to members of the Seychelles Coast Guard (SCG) and the newly-formed Seychelles Maritime Police Unit (SMPU). The training was conducted in cooperation with sta
On Tuesday 12 May 2015, EU Naval Force warship, ESPS Infanta Cristina, hosted the EU Force Commander, Rear Admiral Alfonso Gomez (Spanish Navy), during one of their counter-piracy patrols off the coast of Somalia. The Force Commander was welcomed on board by ESPS Infanta Cristina’s Commanding Office
US, UK Plan Future Joint Carrier Operations One of the highest-ranking women in the US Armed Forces has met with her Royal Navy counterparts to plan future joint carrier operations. HMS Scott Returns to Sea After a refit at HM Naval Base, Devonport, the Royal Navy’s fourth largest warship, has saile
The Spanish Minister of Defence, Mr Pedro Morenés, was the guest of honour during Operation Atalanta’s Force Headquarters Change of Command ceremony that was held on board Dutch flagship, HNLMS Johan de Witt, on Wednesday 6 May 2015 in Djibouti. At the ceremony Spain took Force Command of the Force
On Wednesday 6 May Dutch warship, HNLMS Johan de Witt, completed three and a half months as the flag ship for Operation Atalanta. Under the command of Captain René Lyuckx, she carried out counter-piracy patrols and gave support to EU sister mission, EUCAP Nestor, by providing Local Maritime Capacity
On Wednesday 6 May 2015 Spanish Navy warship, ESPS Rayo, completed her counter-piracy deployment with Operation Atalanta off the coast of Somalia. Since joining the Mission in December 2014, she has sailed more than 28,000 nautical miles in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden, conducting patrols a
Italian Navy’s Maestrale class frigate, Grecale F571, recently completed its 44th friendly approach as part of EU Operation Atalanta. The vessel approached a Yemeni dhow on May 3 to strengthen friendly ties and exchange information. ITS Grecale joined Operation Atalanta on February 17 and since cond
For the first time in over 50 years, a Royal Navy warship has visited the East African archipelago of Zanzibar. Currently deployed to the region, the Portsmouth based HMS Richmond stopped off to collect stores after a lengthy period at sea carrying out maritime security operations in the Indian Ocea
Commander Combined Task Force 151 (CCTF151) Commodore Asif Hameed Siddique discussed mutual operability with the Bahrain Defence Forces on April 26. During his visit, CCTF-151 met Commander-in-Chief of the Bahrain Defence Force (BDF), Field Marshal Sheikh Khalifa Bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Commander of t
Dynamic Mongoose 2015 Begins NATO’s Anti-Submarine Warfare Exercise DYNAMIC MONGOOSE 2015 (DMON 15) began today, Monday, 4 May 2015, off the coast of Norway, with ships, submarines, aircraft and personnel from 10 Allied and 1 partner nation converging on the Norwegian Sea for anti-submarine and anti
On Wednesday 6 May 2015 Rear Admiral Alfonso Gómez from the Spanish Navy, assumed command of Operation Atalanta’s Force Headquarters (FHQ) during a ceremony held in Djibouti. The new FHQ staff, which is embarked in Spanish Navy warship, ESPS Galicia, is made up from 14 European Union Member States,
On Thursday 30 April the ship’s company and international Force HQ staff based on board the EU Naval Force flagship, HNLMS Johan de Witt, were presented with their Operation Atalanta counter-piracy medal by Force Commander, Rear Admiral Jonas Haggren. In his speech Rear Admiral Haggren thanked the s
Australian Navy’s Seahawk helicopter crew embarked in HMAS Success operated in support of Operation OCEAN SHIELD, a NATO counter-piracy operation around the Horn of Africa, in early April. The Seahawk crew and their helicopter ‘Odin’ have been deployed to the Middle East since November 2014 as part
