Whilst conducting counter-piracy operations off the Horn of Africa different nations from different task forces often meet. In this case the US supply ship USNS Joshua Humphreys from Task Force 53 provided two flagships with fuel. FGS Brandenburg flagship of the EU Naval Force Somalia Operation At
Sailors and civil service mariners aboard joint, high-speed vessel USNS Spearhead (JHSV 1) delivered 46 pallets of humanitarian items donated by private companies to nongovernmental organizations as part of Project Handclasp in Lagos, Nigeria, April 15. Project Handclasp is a U.S. Navy program tha
This past weekend, NATO’s counter-piracy flagship, ESPS CRISTOBAL COLON, engaged with the Royal Omani Navy and the European Union Naval Force’s (EUNAVFOR) counter-piracy task force commander (CTF-465) following a port visit to Salalah, Oman. COLON departed Salalah on Saturday 12 April 2014 and con
Naval forces from the United States, Europe, South America and Africa commenced the multinational maritime exercise Obangame Express, April 16. Obangame Express, now in its fourth year, is designed to improve tactical expertise and cooperation among West and Central African nations in order to enh
On 11 April the Force Commander of EU Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) Somalia Operation Atalanta, Rear Admiral Jürgen zur Mühlen, visited the first ship of his task force since he took over command. The Hellenic frigate HS Psara, which has been part of EU Naval Force since February 2014, is participating i
“All those involved in the replenishment at sea are required at their station”. When this order is broadcast over loudspeakers on board the German tanker FGS Rhön, the seamanship crew reacts quickly by donning their hard hats and safety gear before making final preparations for what is a highly spec
Since Rear Admiral Jürgen zur Mühlen assumed force command of the EU Naval Force on Sunday 6 April, he has been very busy ensuring that his flagship, FGS Brandenburg, and the rest of the EU Naval Force warships and maritime patrol aircraft under his command are fully prepared for the important role
Ghanaian and U.S. maritime forces completed a three-week combined maritime law enforcement operation as part of African Maritime Law Enforcement Partnership (AMLEP), April 11. During the operation, the combined U.S.-Ghana boarding team was able to board three fishing vessels that were fishing ille
On Monday 7 April the German tanker Rhön arrived in the port of Djibouti to join the European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia Operation Atalanta. The tanker under the command of Captain Egon Rhauderwiek will provide regular replenishment support to the EU Naval Force warships and other inter
The Spanish oceanic patrol vessel (OPV) ‘Infanta Elena’ called at Douala (Cameroon) from March 29th to April 2nd as part of her scheduled African deployment. The main goal of the port of call was cooperation and training of Cameroonian Navy forces on Maritime Security. During the instruction sessi
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 […]
On Sunday 6 April, Rear Admiral Hervé Bléjean (French Navy) handed over the Force Command of EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia Operation Atalanta to Rear Admiral Jürgen zur Mühlen (German Navy) during a Change of Command ceremony held on board FS Siroco in the Port of Djibouti. Deputy Operation C
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
On Monday, 1 April 2014, the NATO counter-piracy task force (CTF-508) frigates ESPS CRISTOBAL COLON and ITS FRANCESCO MIMBELLI conducted an Air Defence Exercise (ADEX) with USS GEORGE H.W. BUSH and USS PHILIPPINE SEA, testing their surface warfare and anti-air warfare skills. Before commencing the
