Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Arunta interdicted 260kg of heroin in the north Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa on June 8. This is the frigate’s third drug interception as part of operation Manitou. The drugs were intercepted after the ship’s embarked Seahawk helicopter detected the suspicio
German soldiers and personnel assigned to the P-3C Orion Maritime Patrol Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRA) detachment are concluding a three-month deployment to the EUNAVFOR’s operation Atalanta this week. Before the 85 personnel depart their current base in Djibouti to fly home to Germany, Atalanta Fo
Three men in a skiff approached a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the southern Bab-el-Mandeb strait and opened fire on it on May 31, EU NAVFOR has confirmed. The vessel’s master reported that the attackers fired three rocket-propelled grenades, before breaking off the attack. The onboard arme
Ships from NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) joined Royal Moroccan Navy ships for a series of exercises off the coast of Casablanca, Morocco on Tuesday. SNMG2, consisting of flagship Spanish frigate ESPS Blas de Lezo and Turkish frigate TCG Gokceada joined Royal Moroccan Navy ships Mohammed V
The government of Canada has extended the country’s contribution to international maritime security operations in the Middle East and East Africa under operation Artemis. Announced by defence minister Harjit S. Sajjan and parliamentary secretary Jean Rioux, operation Artemis authorizes the Canadian
Sailors from the Italian Navy’s Maestrale-class frigate ITS Espero carried out maritime training with a team from the Djiboutian Navy during their recent port visit in Djibouti. Currently part of the EUNAVFOR’s counter-piracy operation Atalanta, ITS Espero worked with EUCAP Somalia staff during the
Royal Australia Navy frigate HMAS Arunta seized some 250 kilograms of heroin from a vessel off the coast of Africa. The interdiction took place on May 10 in the waters of the Indian Ocean. This is also Arunta’s second narcotic interdiction since she joined counter-terrorism operations in December la
French frigate FS Surcouf collaborated with a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 Orion maritime patrol aircraft to make her first cocaine interception as part of the Combined Task Force 150 (CTF-150). Less than three weeks into its deployment, FS Surcouf made two narcotics seizures, with back to back
Late on Saturday night during a European Union counter-piracy patrol close to the east coast of Somalia, EU NAVFOR’s Spanish flagship, ESPS Galicia, received a SOS distress call from the master of merchant ship, MT Costina, to say that his vessel was being attacked by a number of armed pirates in a
Earlier this month USNS Kanawha replenished ESPS Galicia of EU NAVFOR Operation Atalanta at sea (RAS). Having sailed into the counter-piracy sea areas in the Gulf of Aden, the flag ship of Operation Atalanta, ESPS Galicia went alongside USNS Kanawha to replenish fuel and stores in preparation for he
A South Korean Navy ship already patrolling the Horn of Africa as part of an EU-led task force was sent to participate in an international anti-piracy drill that took place in the Gulf of Aden. The Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin-class destroyer ROKS Choe Yeong joined U.S., Japanese and Royal Navy warships i
Ships and personnel from U.S., UK and France have kicked off the two-week multilateral amphibious exercise Alligator Dagger 17. The drill is taking place in international waters off the coast of Djibouti and in the vicinity of Djibouti and Arta Beach, between April 5 and 20. Participating forces inc
Following the pirating of an Indian registered cargo dhow off the coast of Somalia on Saturday 1 April 2017, EU NAVFOR once again reiterates the need for vigilance to all ships transiting the piracy high risk area. Vessels are strongly recommended to adhere to self-protection measures laid down in t
EU Naval Force can confirm that an Indian registered cargo dhow was seized by suspected pirates on 01 April and is now in the vicinity of Hobyo, Somalia. An EU Naval Force maritime patrol aircraft has confirmed the exact location of the dhow and has attempted to establish radio communications but wi
