On Monday 16 February the Force Commander of the EU Naval Force, Rear Admiral Jonas Haggren (Swedish Navy), paid a visit to the Spanish Air Force Maritime Patrol Aircraft Orion Detachment based in Djibouti. Rear Admiral Haggren was accompanied by a delegation from his multi-national Force Headquarte
The French Naval Ship (FNS) La Grandiere visited the port of Richards Bay, South Africa, from 14 to 18 February 2015. The Officer Commanding (OC) of FNS La Grandiere, Lt Cdr N. Napal paid a courtesy call to the mayor’s office to meet with the mayor, chief magistrate, police commissioner and the port
French Navy’s Foudre-class amphibious assault ship Siroco (L9012) officially deployed on Sunday, February 8, from Mindelo, Cape Verde. This is the vessel’s tenth deployment in less than twenty years of active service. In Mindelo, the vessel was supplied with equipment necessary for cooperation missi
On Tuesday 10 February, Royal Netherlands Navy warship, HNLMS Johan de Witt, joined the EU Naval Force. The warship, which is a Landing Platform Dock, will be deployed in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden for three months as the EU Naval Force flagship. It will accommodate the Force Headquarters sta
On 5 February, while conducting maritime security and counter-terrorism operations under Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) counter-piracy task force CTF-150 in the Gulf of Aden, the French frigate Guépratte quickly responded to an incident, transporting a critically injured seafarer to Djibouti. At 9:2
On Friday, February 13, 2015, Rear Admiral Jonas Haggren from the Royal Swedish Navy assumed command of Operation Atalanta’s Force Headquarters (FHQ) during a ceremony held in Djibouti. The new FHQ staff, which is embarked in Royal Netherlands Navy warship, HNLMS Johan de Witt, is made up from 15 Eu
This week, warship TCG Buyukada (F-512), employed in the NATO counter piracy operation Ocean Shield, conducted several exercises with international naval forces from Japan, Australia, the Republic of Korea, and Oman. Vice Admiral Bruno Paulmier, Deputy Commander of NATO’s Allied Maritime Command, sa
During her visit to Port Victoria, Seychelles, EU Naval Force warship, ESPS Rayo, hosted the Deputy Commander of Operation Atalanta, Rear Admiral Paolo Pezzutti. This was the first visit Rear Admiral Paolo Pezzutti has paid to an EU Naval Force warship since he took over the role of Deputy Commander
On Sunday 7 February 2015, the EU Naval Force counter-piracy flagship, ITS Andrea Doria, provided urgent medical assistance to an injured seafarer, who had suffered a serious burns injury whilst at sea in his cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden. The cargo ship, which was transiting through the Internatio
US Navy’s USS Simpson (FFG 56), an Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigate, engaged in counter-piracy operations, has taken the role of one of “the bad guys” during Exercise Cutlass Express 2015. Exercise Cutlass Express, sponsored by U.S. Africa Command, is designed to improve regional coo
The Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) warship, Japanese Ship Harusame, engaged with local fishermen during a recent port visit to Salalah, Oman. JS Harusame, currently supporting the counter-piracy task force CTF-151, handed out leaflets to fishermen, written in both English and Arabic, and discussed h
On the 7th February 2015, the Italian Task Force Air (TFA) in Djibouti completed its deployment with the EU Naval Force. The detachment, which boasts a Predator Unmanned Aircraft Vehicle (UAV), arrived in Djibouti last August and performed its first flight on the 4th September 2014. Since then, the
GD NASSCO to Christen US Navy’s Future MLP 3 US Navy’s future USNS Lewis B. Puller (MLP 3 AFSB) will be christened on Saturday, February 7, at General Dynamics NASSCO Shipyard, in San Diego. Irish Navy Decommissions Its OPV LÉ Aoife The Irish Navy’s has decommissioned one of its Offshore Patrol Vess
Maritime forces from East Africa, South Africa, Europe, Indian Ocean nations and several international organizations concluded the fourth iteration of the multinational maritime exercise Cutlass Express 2015, Feb. 4. Exercise Cutlass Express 2015, sponsored by U.S. Africa Command, was designed to im
