NATO and Japan conducted a joint counter-piracy drill in the Gulf of Aden on Thursday, 25 September 2014, to test communications and tactical skills. It was the first such joint naval exercise between the two maritime fleets. “By synchronizing our activities and sharing information we stand a much
On Monday 22 September the EU Naval Force flagship, ITS Andrea Doria, met the Chinese Navy ship, CNS Changbaishan, in the Gulf of Aden. The EU Force Commander, Rear Admiral Guido Rando, accompanied by the commanding officer of the flagship, Captain Gianfranco Annunziata, and an additional six offi
EU Naval Force frigate, ESPS Navarra, has resumed her counter-piracy patrols in the Indian Ocean after a short visit to the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. The visit was an opportunity for the crew to resupply the ship and have some rest and recuperation after spending a number of we
On Thursday 18 September the Force Commander of the European Union’s counter-piracy Operation Atalanta, Rear Admiral Guido Rando, welcomed Captain Kim Jeong-Hyun, who is the Commanding Officer of the South Korean Destroyer, ROKS Munmu the Great, on board the EU Naval Force flagship, ITS Andrea Doria
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
VIDEO: US Navy Hires Kongsberg for NSM Testing Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS (KONGSBERG) is contracted by the US Navy to test fire KONGSBERG’s Naval Strike Missile (NSM) from the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) under the Foreign Comparative Testing program. SINKEX Units Sink Former USS Fresno Ships
Maritime professionals from Africa, Europe and the U.S. concluded the Africa Partnership Station (APS) Annual Planning Conference, Sept. 17. The 3-day conference allowed training officers from African maritime forces to express maritime capacity desires and work with U.S. and European stakeholders
On Saturday 13 September 2014 FGS Berlin conducted a RAS with Italian Navy destroyer, ITS Andrea Doria, the current flagship of the EU’s counter-piracy mission, Operation Atalanta. Before the RAS commenced, all the sailors involved were fully briefed on their duties and then ITS Andrea Doria made
Whilst conducting EU counter-piracy patrols in the Horn of Africa, the Belgian EU Naval Force frigate, BNS Leopold I, has conducted friendly approaches on a dhow and several skiffs near the Somali coast. The dhow was initially sighted by BNS Leopold I’s Alouette III helicopter during a reconnaissa
On Monday, 8 September, EU Naval Force Belgian frigate, BNS Leopold I, conducted a replenishment at sea with the German support ship FGS Berlin in the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC). As the ships sailed close to each other, maintenance equipment was transferred from FGS Berlin
On Tuesday 4 September the 32nd wing of the Italian Air Force, which operates the remote controlled aircraft known as Predator, completed their first tasking with the EU Naval Force. The Italian Predator team, which is based in Djibouti, carried out a successful 11 hour check test flight and was a
Between 6 – 7 September, the EU Force Commander, Rear Admiral Guido Rando took the opportunity to embark HNLMS Van Speijk and BNS Leopold I. Both frigates recently joined the EU Naval Force to conduct EU counter-piracy operations and they will remain in the area of operations off the coast of Soma
Marine Helicopter Crashes in the Gulf of Aden A U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter assigned to the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) crashed at 2:00 p.m. (GMT), yesterday, at sea in the Gulf of Aden as it attempted to land aboard USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19). HMS Queen Elizabeth Unde
EU Naval Force warship HNLMS Van Speijk has carried out her first friendly approach in the Gulf of Aden. Following a routine logistical stop in Djibouti, HNLMS Van Speijk was assigned to patrol in the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC), monitoring merchant traffic and safeguarding s
