The flagship of NATO’s anti-piracy operation ‘Ocean Shield’, Spanish F-100 frigate Álvaro de Bazán, welcomed aboard the Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy. The Prime Minister was hosted by rear-admiral Eugenio Díaz del Río, commander of the operation, who briefed the PM on the activities carried
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania hosted British warship HMS Westminster for a working visit in mid December. The visit was aimed at sharing knowledge with Tanzanian counterparts related to maritime boarding operations. The training package covered all aspects of boarding operations, arranged by the UK’s Nati
Spanish fleet replenishment ship ‘Cantabria’ has returned to her home port in Ferrol, Spain after spending a year deployed to Australia where she integrated with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). The ship has supplied more than 12,000 tons of fuel and sailed 43,200 miles during 215 days at sea. Since
Russia: Navy Commissions SSBN Yury Dolgoruky The Project 955 Borei nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) Yury Dolgoruky was commissioned… The Philippines: AGHAM Calls for Naval, Ship-Building Self-Reliance In light of the recent Tubbataha incident, activist scientist group AGHAM or Advo
On 23 December, two EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) warships, FGS Hessen and ESPS Tornado, conducted a Vertical Replenishment (VERTREP) which is a transfer of items from one ship to another by the use of a helicopter. The replenishment took place amid counter-piracy deployment of the warships to the Gulf
Portsmouth-based warship HMS Lancaster returned home to the cheers of hundreds of loved ones in Portsmouth yesterday (December 18) following a successful drug-busting deployment to the North Atlantic and Caribbean. HMS Lancaster spent seven months in the region, seizing drugs with a total street val
During their recent port visit to Dar Es Salaam, EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Spanish Offshore Patrol Vessel, ESPS Tornado, conducted training with a team from the Tanzanian Navy. Nineteen members of the Tanzanian Navy were given a briefing on boarding operations, followed by a boarding exercise. The
“The Ukrainian Navy is very much looking forward to joining the European Union Naval Force, which has made a significant contribution in the fight against piracy over the past five years.” On Tuesday 17 December 2013, Rear Admiral Hervé Bléjean, the Force Commander of the European Union’s counter pi
Babcock is beginning a six month Support Period (Docking) (SP(D)) on Sandown class mine hunter HMS Bangor at its Rosyth dockyard, which will include a number of upgrades and a substantial maintenance package. Bangor is due to go into dock later this week. The SP(D) is being carried out under Surface
When Rear Admiral Hervé Bléjéan took over the Force Headquarters of the EU Operation Atalanta on Friday 6 December, one of his first actions was to meet with the Force Commanders of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), Commodore Aage Buur Jensen, and NATO’s Operation Ocean Shield, Rear Admiral Eugeni
On Friday morning 13 December 2013, Rear Admiral Hervé Bléjean, who is the EU Force Commander for Operation Atalanta warships conducting counter piracy patrols off the Somali coast, visited Federal German Ship (FGS) Hessen. After being flown on board FGS Hessen by the German warship’s Sea Lynx MK-88
Spanish fleet replenishment ship ‘Cantabria’ has just departed from Aksaz (Turkey), the third and final port of call after visiting Indonesia and India during her cruise back to Spain. Since her departure from Sydney on November 1st, the ship has sailed 39 days with two logistic calls at Jakarta (In
On Friday 13 December EU Naval Force frigate, ITS Libeccio came to the assistance of a Yemeni fishing dhow that was sailing along the Somali coast with 38 people on board. Due to poor weather conditions, one of two skiffs that were being towed astern of the dhow had capsized and started to sink. Ful
On Sunday, 15 December 2013, EU Naval Force French flagship, FS Siroco hosted a meeting with Somaliland representatives, including Vice President Abdirahman Abdallahi Ismail Saylici. “We welcome this engagement with EUCAP Nestor as it will pave the way for technical cooperation in the field of mar
