The Royal Netherlands Navy frigate and current flagship of the EU mission off the Horn of Africa, became the first operation Atalanta warship to dock in either Somalia or Somaliland as the ship came alongside Berbera Port on Sunday, December 4. Onboard were EUCAP Nestor’s head of operations, Chris R
Bahrain was the stage for the 39th Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE) conference which was held November 30. The conference was a forum to discuss counter-piracy in the Gulf of Aden and in the Indian Ocean and the importance of cooperation between naval units in the region, industry and othe
The European Council extended operation Atalanta’s mandate to deter, disrupt and repress acts of piracy off the coast of Somalia until 31 December 2018. Operation Atalanta’s two-year mandate extension comes amidst concerns within European Union member states that whilst pirate attacks on merchant sh
The Albanian Navy joined it’s first-ever NATO maritime mission by deploying its patrol boat ALS Oriku to Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 on Monday. The vessel will support NATO activities in the Aegean Sea as part of the international efforts to stop illegal trafficking and migration. ALS Oriku is an
A detachment of 20 Royal Danish Air Force officers and enlisted service members took flight in their aircraft from the Seychelles one last time on November 19 marking the end of their deployment. The Royal Danish Air Force Challenger CL-604 was deployed to NATO standing Operation Ocean Shield. The D
DCNS, French defense contractor that will be building Australia’s future submarines, has signed a letter of intent with the Australian Indigenous Defence Consortium (IDC) to explore opportunities to include Indigenous Australians and Indigenous businesses within DCNS’s supply chain. The partnership
Two Russian Navy destroyers in charge of protecting the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov on its deployment to the Mediterranean have detected and chased away a Dutch Navy submarine which attempted to spy on the group, Russian Ministry of Defence said. According to several media reports, including
German Navy’s Elbe-class replenishment ship Werra is set to return to its homeport in the Kiel Navy base after spending five months underway supporting EU’s maritime operations. Werra departed port in June to join EUNAVFOR’s operation Sophia to help tackle people smugglers, deaths of migrants at sea
Operation Atalanta’s force commander, Commodore Luyckx, who is currently embarked in the EU naval force flagship, HNLMS Tromp, took an opportunity to visit Spanish Navy’s offshore patrol vessel ESPS Relampago as it was conducting her counter-piracy patrols off Somalia. After being welcomed on board
The EU naval force in charge of safeguarding shipping off the Horn of Africa has increased its patrols after Somali pirates attacked chemical tanker CPO Korea off the east coast of Somalia on October 22. During the attack a number of shots were exchanged between the six armed pirates, who were in a
The Finnish Navy received its third Katanpää class mine counter-measure vessel at the Intermarine Shipyard in La Spezia, Italy, on Wednesday. The navy said the vessel would be transferred to its home port, Turku, by land. The undertaking is scheduled to be completed by December. Katanpää class vesse
EUNAVFOR operation Sophia has started training activities with the Libyan Navy and Coast Guard this week, and will continue doing so over the next three months. The training is taking place on board of two EUNAVFOR MED vessels on the high seas for 78 embarked trainees and their mentors. The initial
Spain has come under pressure from other EU countries and NATO officials after it allowed the Russian carrier strike group centered around carrier-cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov to refuel in Ceuta, Spain. The fleet was expected to enter the Spanish port on the north coast of Africa in the morning of Octo
Spanish frigate ESPS Santa Maria completed her six month deployment with operation Atalanta off the coast of Somalia and handed over her duties to another Spanish warship, ESPS Relampago, on October 24. During her deployment, ESPS Santa Maria conducted patrols at sea in the Gulf of Aden and Indian O
