The Spanish Oceanic Patrol Vessel ESPS Rayo, as part of the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia – Operation Atalanta, has taken advantage of her second port visit in Djibouti to conduct training on 20 and 21 March 2013 with the Djiboutian Navy and Coast Guard. The Boarding Team of ESPS Rayo and Spani
IMO has pledged its support to assist in the implementation of a new Code of Conduct concerning the prevention and repression of piracy, armed robbery against ships and illicit maritime activity in west and central Africa, which has been adopted at a Ministerial meeting in Cotonou, Benin. The Code i
Some contributing nations support the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia – Operation Atalanta with specialised assets to counter piracy off the Horn of Africa. Estonia supports Operation Atalanta with a Vessel Protection Detachment (VPD) on board the French frigate FS Courbet. VPDs are ready to emba
On 17 March, during a visit by the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia Operation Atalanta flagship ESPS Méndez Núnez to Salalah, the Force Commander, Rear Admiral Pedro García de Paredes, met with Omani officials in Salalah. The EU NAVFOR Force Commander met the Commander of the Royal Navy of Oman’s
Playing a key role in the EU Naval Force Somalia – Operation Atalanta are the Spanish Airforce P3-M Orion Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRA). The aircraft are based in Djibouti and have been a stalwart part of the operation since 3 January 2009, they provide an unbroken expertise ass
On 15 March, the German Autonomous Vessel Protection Detachment (AVPD), deployed with the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia Operation Atalanta, transferred the responsibility for the protection of the World Food Programme (WFP) ship MV Caroline Scan to an AVPD from Finland. The German AVPD returns
After MV Royal Grace was released by pirates on Friday 8 March, it was EU Naval Force Spanish Offshore Patrol Vessel ESPS Rayo who ensured that the chemical tanker and her crew stayed safe as the vessel sailed north towards Omani waters. ESPS Rayo was conducting counter piracy patrols last Friday 8
HMS Northumberland flew the flag for Britain when she was Britain’s participant in a major naval exercise involving more than two dozen nations in Karachi. Hosted by the Pakistani Navy, Exercise Aman – Urdu for ‘peace’ – demonstrates the united resolve of the nations taking part to combat criminal a
A Royal Naval Lynx returns from its four month embarkation following a unique and successful deployment with a French warship in the Indian Ocean on Counter Piracy Operations. 217 Flight of 815 Naval Air Squadron arrived back at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton to a family welcome following their d
It has been a busy couple of days for EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) flagship ESPS Méndez Núnez. The Spanish warship, which is conducting EU counter piracy patrols off the Somali coast, was once again able to provide much needed protection, this time to super tanker MV Smyrni, after the vessel was relea
Spanish Marines serving in the Operational Headquarters (OHQ) of the European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) celebrated the 476th anniversary of the Spanish Marine Corps. Founded in 1537, during the reign of Carlos I, the Spanish Marine Corps is the oldest extant Marine Corps in the World. Unable to
EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) flagship ESPS Méndez Núnez provided much-needed assistance to the crew of chemical tanker MV Royal Grace after the vessel was unexpectedly released by Somali pirates. The pirates had held the vessel after attacking it over a year earlier, on 2 March 2012 in the Gulf of Oma
On 04 March, during a port visit to Djibouti by the European Union Naval Force flagship, ESPS Méndez Núnez, her crew welcomed on board a group of ten members of the Djiboutian Coast Guard in order to conduct training exercises. The purpose of the visit was to conduct training for the Djiboutian Coas
If you were able to fly on board an EU Naval Force warship at sea to look at how it conducts counter piracy patrols off the coast of Somalia, the navy pilot that flies you on board may be a women, the officer of the watch ‘driving the ship’ across the Indian Ocean may be […]
