In Djibouti on 7 December, RAdm Christian Canova FRAN, Deputy Commander EU NAVFOR, transferred six powerful outboard motors which had been confiscated from Somali pirates to Colonel Abdourahman Aden Cher, Chief of the Djiboutian Navy. The engines were taken from small skiffs which had been stopped b
The current year has brought a record-breaking income to Somali pirates hijacking ships and crews for ransom, said deputy director of EU NAVFOR – Operation Atalanta in the interview to online Bruxelles2. According to the admiral, pirates have obtained over $135 mln ransoms in 2011, while in the past
In Djibouti on 6 December the Change of Command ceremony of Commander Task Force 465 was held on board the EU NAVFOR German frigate FGS BAYERN. Rear Admiral Thomas Jugel handed over the responsibility to Captain Jorge Manso, Spanish Navy, in a ceremony attended by military and civilian guests, inclu
On 03 December, EU NAVFOR welcomed the German frigate FGS LUEBCK to EU NAVFOR Somalia Operation ATALANTA. Commanded by Commander Martin Ruchay, the ship and her 219 crew members will operate in the area of operations of the Indian Ocean, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea for the next two months. Her task
Huntington Ingalls Industries announced that the company’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division has been awarded an advance procurement contract for work on the U.S. Navy’s third Zumwalt-class destroyer, DDG 1002. The contract is valued at $46 million, with the majority of the work taking place at the comp
In order to meet for underwater navigation capability requirements for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) the MCDSPO is procuring 34 Underwater Navigation and Integrated Sonar (UNIS) systems, which will allow the RAN to conduct mission planning, accurate navigation and automated hydrographical data rec
The Ministers of Defence of the 27 Member States of the European Union (EU) have started talks in Brussels to try to solve the shortage of … (FIS) [mappress] Source: fis, December 01, 2011; Image: eunavfor
Minister for Defence Stephen Smith and Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare today announced that the Government has approved the upgrade of all eight of the Royal Australian Navy’s Anzac Class frigates with an advanced Anti-Ship Missile Defence system. The total project cost is in excess of $65
Three Royal Australian Navy Frigates have departed Sydney Harbour bound for the coast off Newcastle to continue a series of intensive air and sea exercises over the next fortnight. Triton Warrior 11 is the third in a series of co-ordinated naval exercises conducted this year in the Eastern Australia
FGS KÖLN conducted her last day of operations as a part of EU NAVFOR, after 74 days in the Gulf of Aden and the Somali Basin. During this deployment, FGS KÖLN was tasked in all aspects of Operation ATALANTA, ranging from the escort of World Food Programme ships carrying food-aid into Somalia to coun
On 28 November HNLMS ZUIDERKRUIS, the Dutch Fast Combat Support Ship, left EU NAVFOR Operation ATALANTA to return to her home port in Den Helder. After approximately three months under the Command of the EU NAVFOR and in total 36 years serving in the Royal Netherlands Navy the supply ship will be de
Melbourne based BMT Design & Technology, a subsidiary of the BMT Group, the international maritime design, engineering and risk management consultancy, has announced that it has been awarded a contract that will help preserve the historic warship HMVS Cerberus. BMT Design & Technology is investigati
Minister for Defence Stephen Smith today announced that the Australian Defence Force (ADF) has commenced Exercise COOPERATION SPIRIT 2011 with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in Sichuan Province, China. The exercise began on 27 November and will continue until 1 December. “Exercise COOPERATION SP
The Minister for Defence and Member for Perth, Stephen Smith MP and the Parliamentary Secretary for Defence, Senator David Feeney, congratulated seven West Australian employers and their Australian Defence Force (ADF) Reservists for their outstanding service to the ADF during 2011. A ceremony recogn
