In the early morning of Friday 19 September, EU Naval Force frigate, ESPS Navarra, came to the assistance of a stricken yacht in the Gulf of Aden. The yacht had been detected on the warship’s radar in the early morning. ESPS Navarra’s Bridge team initially tried to hail the yacht via their VHF rad
On Tuesday 2 September the EU Force Commander, Rear Admiral Guido Rando, welcomed the Commander of the Japanese Escort Task Group, Captain Tsutomu Okawa, on board the EU Naval Force flagship, ITS Andrea Doria. Both ships are conducting counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden. The Japanese Es
On Saturday 30 August, EU Naval Force warship BNS Leopold I conducted their first friendly approach with two Yemeni fishing vessels. Having sighted the vessels at sea with approximately 15 men, women and children on board, the warship’s Boarding Party was dispatched to investigate the situation. O
A Royal UK Navy frigate has been training with the Nigerian Navy allowing for an exchange of skills and techniques. HMS Iron Duke paid a short visit to Lagos, Nigeria, West Africa’s most populous city where the frigate worked with the Nigerian Navy as well as hosting a UK Trade and Industry Expo.
NATO’s Counter-Piracy Mission, Operation Ocean Shield, has bid farewell to the Italian destroyer ITS MIMBELLI. The ITS MIMBELLI left Task Force 508 on Wednesday, 6 August 2014, after a job very well done as part of Operation Ocean Shield. The continuous, main effort of Task Force 508 is keeping co
DDG 1000 Zumwalt-Class Destroyer Program Continues to Progress The DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class destroyer program continues to progress, meeting key program milestones on the path to Initial Operational Capability (IOC). As the prime mission systems integrator for the DDG 1000 ship class, Raytheon provide
NATO’s counter-piracy Operation Ocean Shield warship ITS Mimbelli has concluded a port visit to Dar es Salaam designed to deepen ongoing cooperation with the Tanzanian Navy in a common effort to eradicate piracy off the coast of eastern Africa, protect maritime trade and ensure safe navigation in th
Over a period of three days FGS Brandenburg has escorted a World Food Programme (WFP) voyage chartered vessel from Djibouti to Bosaso, which is the capital of Puntland. The WFP vessel had about 3,000 tonnes of food on board, which was destined for displaced people in Somalia. Protecting WFP vessel
HMS Portland became the first Royal Navy Ship to visit São Tomé and Príncipe in 29 years when she anchored off the islands for a two day visit. The last Royal Navy Ship to visit the islands was the survey vessel HMS Herald in 1985. Prior to that, the last recorded visit of a […]
Last week German Navy frigate, FGS Brandenburg, completed her transit through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea towards the waters of the Gulf of Aden to start counter piracy operations with the EU Naval Force Somalia, Operation Atalanta. The Suez Canal, which is 162 kilometres in length is an extrem
Rear-admiral Eugenio Díaz del Río, Commander of the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG-2) currently participating in operation ‘Ocean Shield’ fighting piracy in the Indian Ocean, welcomed Rear-admiral Kevin M. Sweeney, Commander of the U.S. Navy Carrier Strike Group 10. The two flagships, the Sp
Twenty-five U.S. Navy personnel remain aboard the oil tanker Morning Glory after a team of Navy SEALs boarded and took control of the ship on March 17, Army Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, said yesterday. U.S. forces took control of the tanker in international waters at the request of the g
The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has deployed a task group in support of international counter-piracy efforts in the Gulf of Aden for the fifth time. Led by Colonel Cheong Kwok Chien, the 151-strong SAF task group comprises the Republic of Singapore Navy Formidable-class stealth frigate, RSS Tenacio
Spanish warship Alvaro De Bazan, NATO’s counter-piracy flagship, took part in an air defence training drill in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday (5 March 2014) in order to maintain its readiness to tackle any challenge on the high seas, including deterrance of Somali pirates. French air force fighters