On 17th May, during the simultaneous port visit in Djibouti, the Commanding Officer of the Chinese frigate MAANSHAN payed a visit to EU NAVFOR warship ESPS SANTA MARIA. The Chinese frigate MAANSHAN is part of Task Force 526 with her sister ship WENZHOU – the Flag Ship, and the tanker QIANDAOHU. They
On 20 May, ESPS INFANTA ELENA, the Spanish patrol vessel finished asan EU NAVFOR warship after 84 days proudly flying the European Flag. During her days at sea she was committed in conducting surface search, patrolling and safeguarding the coast of Somalia, as well as escorting multiple vessels ch
Amphibious transport dock ship USS Cleveland (LPD 7), the flagship for Pacific Partnership 2011, anchored off the coast of Lae May 19, to begin the third phase of the mission with representatives from Australia, Canada, Spain, France and the United States. Cleveland houses the command staff, represe
EU NAVFOR Portuguese warship VASCO DA GAMA, flagship for Operation ATALANTA, hosted the visit of the Portuguese Chief of Defence, General Luís Araújo. The Portuguese Chief of Defence was briefed by the Force Commander, Commodore Alberto Correia on Operation ATALANTA, the latest figures and piracy tr
Civil service mariners aboard Military Sealift Command fleet replenishment oiler USNS John Ericsson (T-AO 194) rescued five people lost at sea in a small boat near the Solomon Islands May 18. While conducting routine operations in the Solomon Sea May 17, Ericsson received notification from the Marit
During the morning of 13 May, the EU NAVFOR Portuguese warship NRP Vasco da Gama successfully intercepted a Dhow which is suspected of operating as a pirate mothership. The Dhow, whose original crew were being held on board by the suspected pirates as hostages, was attempting to deploy into the Indi
HMNZS TE MANA has successfully test-fired her Close in Weapons System (CIWS) during exercises in the South China Sea. The CIWS (also known as a Phalanx) is a 6 barreled radar controlled 20mm machine gun that can fire up to 75 rounds of hardened steel bullets a second (4500 per minute). The purpose o
ESPS CANARIAS, the Spanish frigate finished as an EU NAVFOR warship after 126 days proudly flying the European Flag. She has conducted a variety of tasks in the force and with a continuous dedication has always been ready for any duties, as well as demonstrating a proactive attitude to face all chal
EU Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) in conjunction with the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) have collaborated to develop an integrated maritime monitoring service (MARSURV) to allow EUNAVFOR to track merchant vessels in the High Risk Area off the coast of Somalia. EMSA is the technical cooperation plat
On 1 May, Finnish warship FNS POHJANMAA said farewell to Operation ATALANTA. The flagship of the Finnish Navy patrolled the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden for three months after integrating into the European Union Task Force. POHJANMAA complied effectively and efficiently with all tasks she was given
USS City of Corpus Christi (SSN 705) arrived at the boat’s new homeport, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, May 1, after completing a homeport shift from Commander, Submarine Squadron 15 in Guam. City of Corpus Christi, known by the crew for the ship’s motto “For God and Country,” departed Guam April 1
During her port visit to Mombasa on the 11th April, EU NAVFOR warship FS GUEPRATTE welcomed a Kenyan delegation on board. This visit was organized by the UN Office for Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) who are deeply involved in the pirates transfer agreement process with East Africa, Seychelles and now Maur
On 21 April, EU NAVFOR released 18 suspected pirates that had been detained by the EU NAVFOR Finnish warship FNS POHJANMAA since the 6 April. They were released after requests to a number of states, who were considered to have an interest in the case, proved to be unsuccessful. The States either dec
The U.S. Navy, supported by Lockheed Martin , has installed the Aegis Combat System aboard two new Navy destroyers, USS Gravely (DDG 107) and USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109). The Aegis Combat Systems aboard the ships have also been certified as fully operational through the tests known as Combat Systems
