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
Royal Navy warship HMS Argyll has arrived in Dakar, Senegal for the start of a huge multi-national exercise off the coast of West Africa. The Type-23 frigate will represent the UK at Exercise Saharan Express which has been designed to improve cooperation for the participating nations while they oper
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
On 04 March, during a port visit to Djibouti by the European Union Naval Force flagship, ESPS Méndez Núnez, her crew welcomed on board a group of ten members of the Djiboutian Coast Guard in order to conduct training exercises. The purpose of the visit was to conduct training for the Djiboutian Coas
Within the framework of anti-piracy cooperation in the Gulf of Aden Russia and NATO are negotiating about fuel resupply of the warships, participating… [mappress] Source: Russian Navy, March 8, 2013; Image: Mil
Between 26 February and 5 March 2013, French warship FS Courbet, operating as part of EU Naval Force counter piracy mission Operation Atalanta, together with an embarked Estonian Vessel Protection Detachment (VPD), escorted a World Food Programme (WFP) ship that was carrying much-needed food and aid
Russia Plans to Rearm BSF Russia has announced plans to rearm its Black Sea Fleet and has asked Ukraine to settle the issues regarding the planned deliveries of new weapons to the naval force, Ukraine’s defense minister said on Saturday. Italy: NATO Allies Participate in Proud Manta 2013 Exercise Pr
On 24 February 2013, whilst on counter piracy patrols in the International Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) the Force Commander of EU NAVFOR, Rear Admiral Pedro García de Paredes, met with the Commander of the NATO counter-piracy Operation Ocean Shield, Rear Admiral Antonio Natale. The meeting be
At the end of February the Luxembourg Maritime patrol and Reconnaissance (MPRA) Detachment returned to the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia Operation Atalanta counter piracy mission, having taken over MPRA duties from the Swedish Coast Guard MPRA unit operating from the Seychelles. During their pr
Large ASW ship Severomorsk of the Northern Fleet will participate in a NATO anti-piracy exercise in the Gulf of Aden… [mappress] Source: Russian Navy, February 22, 2013
After navigating the Suez Canal and Bab-el-Mandeb strait, French frigate FS Courbet has joined EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia – Operation Atalanta. The French frigate replaces the FS Surcouf, who has been operating within the EU counter-piracy operation since last December. On Monday 18 February
Commander Combined Task Force (CTF) 151 Commodore Muhammad Hisham has crossed decked from USS Farragut to HMAS Toowoomba to personally welcome the crew to the counter-piracy task force. The crossdecking was conducted to bolster the already-high level of cooperation between the nations involved in th
