The Spanish frigate ‘Numancia’ has arrived at her home port in Rota Naval Base with 197 people on board after a five-month deployment in operation ‘Atalanta’ fighting piracy in the Indian Ocean as part of EUNAVFOR (European Union Naval Force). The Spanish warship has finished her second deployment i
Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus concluded a visit to Senegal Aug. 22, the last stop on a multi-nation visit focused on reinforcing existing partnerships with African nations. “Senegal is the backbone of the Navy and Marine Corps’ martime cooperation in West Africa,” said Mabus. “We have a strong and
Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus concluded a visit to Ghana Aug. 20 where he met with Ghanaian government and military officials to discuss maritime security issues in the region and future partnership opportunities. He also met with U.S. embassy Sailors and Marines and presented an award to Lt. Cmdr
On Sunday 18 August, fourteen participants along with several EUCAP Nestor trainers boarded the Dutch EU Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) Flagship HNLMS Johan de Witt in Djibouti, to embark for a one week’s training course on Maritime Security. This course, the second to be organised by EUCAP Nestor, brings t
Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus concluded a visit to Leon M’ba, Gabon, Aug. 19. Mabus met with various government and military officials to discuss maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea and other areas of mutual concern such as piracy, transnational crime, and regional security. “Our Sailors and M
On August 6th, after passing through the Suez Canal, navigating the Red Sea and crossing the Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb, the Spanish warship ESPS Meteoro has been integrated into the European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia Operation Atalanta. The ESPS Meteoro is the first of a series of four mod
On August 14, the United Nations Security Council called for a comprehensive regional approach to combat the threat of piracy and armed robbery at sea in the Gulf of Guinea, and reiterated its call on Member States to prosecute perpetrators in accordance with international laws. “The Security Counci
Yesterday Commander Task Force 465, Commodore Peter Lenselink, visited Commander Task Force 508, Commodore Henning Amundsen, on board HNoMS FRIDTJOF NANSEN to discuss ongoing counter-piracy operations. Combined Task Force 465 is the European Union Naval Force, which executes counter piracy Operation
Pirates will continue to prey on the lucrative West African oil trade, with more piracy and hijacking incidents expected in the Gulf of Guinea, as long as the political complexities surrounding naval presence in territorial waters continue, says an analyst with research and consulting firm GlobalDat
On 14 August, whilst in Djibouti the FGS Augsburg handed over the German commitment to the European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia Operation Atalanta to FGS Niedersachsen. The handover was presided over by Captain Stefan Pauly, Branch Head of Maritime Operations from the Joint Forces Operatio
In the last week there have been no significant events, as a result the NATO Shipping Centre (NSC) has removed all Areas of Concern which were published last week (01-07 Aug 2013), NSC said in a weekly update. Nevertheless, the threat of piracy remains and vigilance is required when transiting thoug
On Monday, 12 August 2013, the Dutch frigate HNLMS VAN SPEIJK concluded more than two months deployment in support of NATO’s counter-piracy Operation OCEAN SHIELD and began her voyage back to the Netherlands. VAN SPEIJK joined OCEAN SHIELD just days before Commodore Henning Amundsen took command of
Earlier this week, the Maltese Special Duties Enhanced Boarding Team (MSDEBT) on board the EU Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) ship Johan de Witt conducted a fast-rope exercise. They fast-roped from one of the two Cougar helicopters embarked on the Dutch warship. The Johan de Witt is currently the flagship of
After 148 days in charge, the Finnish Autonomous Vessel Protection Detachment (AVPD) handed over the responsibility for the protection of the World Food Program (WFP) Ship MV Caroline Scan to a Lithuanian AVPD on 10 August. On behalf of Rear Admiral Bob Tarrant, Operation Commander European Union Na
