Military Sealift Command-chartered HSV Swift (HSV 2) completed a nearly 10-month deployment to the Europe and Africa areas of responsibility Jan. 31. During that time, Swift and her crew of contract mariners and a U.S. Navy detachment conducted 38 port visits to Africa and 15 to Europe, circumnaviga
The last two weeks of January have been a busy period for ESPS Cantabria (CMDR J.L. Nieto) and her embarked RAN DET. Having successfully navigated the Suez Canal, Cantabria entered the Gulf of Aden (GoA) area of operations. Cantabria conducted Replenishment at Sea (RAS) activities in support of EUNA
On 29 January 2013, during a port visit to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, Rear Admiral Pedro García de Paredes, the Force Commander of the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR), welcomed Rear Admiral Bob Tarrant on board his flagship ESPS Méndez Núnez. This is the first meeting between both admirals since Rear Admir
During the reporting period of 22 – 29 January 2013 there were no piracy related incidents in the High Risk Area (HRA), NATO Shipping Centre informed in its Weekly Piracy Update. Merchant vessels are reminded to remain vigilant while transiting this area and ensure that Self Protection Measures are
The Royal Netherlands Airforce’s newest helicopter, the NH-90, is on its way to Somalia on board HNLMS De Ruyter. It is the first overseas mission in which the maritime on-board helicopter will take part. Although in its current configuration it will not be able to carry out all mission tasks, the N
Following an attack in early January on a merchant vessel 260 miles off the Somali Coast, twelve men suspected of committing an act of piracy, were transferred on January 25 by EU Naval Force warship FS Surcouf to the Mauritian authorities for prosecution. When the attack happened on 5th January, th
After having assumed Command of Task Force 508 on 7th December 2012, Rear Admiral Antonio Natale reflects on his busy first month as the Commander of NATO’s counter piracy mission, Operation Ocean Shield. The ships’ companies of the current task force; namely, ITS San Marco, USS Halyburton, TCG Goko
During the reporting period of 09 – 16 January 2013 there were no piracy related incidents in the High Risk Area (HRA). The last of the hostages from the MV Orna have been released. The ship was pirated in Dec 2010 and freed in Oct 2012. However, a number of crew members had been kept […]
In the evening of 5th January, a merchant vessel sailing 260 miles off the Somali Coast, made a distress call, reporting that she was coming under attack by six men in a fast moving boat, armed with rocket propelled grenades. Thankfully, having employed avoidance tactics, the merchant vessel was abl
Royal Navy destroyer HMS Edinburgh has returned to sea following a two week mid-deployment period of maintenance in Simon’s Town, South Africa. The Portsmouth-based ship will now continue with her Atlantic patrol and her third crossing of the South Atlantic so far in this deployment. After two month
During the morning of the 26 of December, after more than two weeks at sea on board his flagship, Force Commander of the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia – Operation Atalanta, Rear Admiral Pedro García de Paredes, had a meeting with both the Djiboutian Chief of the Navy and the Chief of the Coast
Just 12 days after EU Naval Force warship BNS Louise Marie apprehended five suspect pirates at sea off the Somali Coast, the Belgium frigate has once again located a suspect skiff – this time with three men on board. The warship, which is operating as part of the European Union’s counter-piracy miss
1. January US Navy to Deploy Third Carrier Group to Persian Gulf The US will dispatch another carrier strike group led by USS Enterprise to the Persian Gulf in March 2012, reported US Navy on Jan 25. The carrier group based in Norfolk, VA will also include a guided missile cruiser and three [&hell
A vessel’s crew hijacked almost three years ago by Somali pirates has been freed, says the ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB). After 1000 days in captivity the 22 remaining crew of the MV Iceberg 1 were freed as a result of a two-week operation by the Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF) in Ga
