During their final patrol with the EU’s counter piracy mission – Operation Atalanta, the French Landing Helicopter Dock, FS Tonnerre and Destroyer FS Georges Leygues, rendezvoused at sea with the EU NAVFOR flagship, Portuguese Frigate Alvares Cabral. On completion of what have been successful counter piracy deployments for both French Navy ships, the Force Commander, [...]
On 10 May, French EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) ship FS Nivôse completed a nine day escort of a World Food Programme (WFP) chartered vessel. The WFP ship was escorted from Djibouti to the port of Mombasa in Kenya. During the escort, members of the French Navy crew remained on constant look-out, with the ship’s [...]
Playing a key role in the EU Naval Force Somalia – Operation Atalanta are the Spanish Airforce P3-M Orion Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRA). The aircraft are based in Djibouti and have been a stalwart part of the operation since 3 January 2009, they provide an unbroken expertise assisting and co-ordinating other MPRA contributors [...]
Spanish Marines serving in the Operational Headquarters (OHQ) of the European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) celebrated the 476th anniversary of the Spanish Marine Corps. Founded in 1537, during the reign of Carlos I, the Spanish Marine Corps is the oldest extant Marine Corps in the World. Unable to attend the usual celebrations back in [...]
If you were able to fly on board an EU Naval Force warship at sea to look at how it conducts counter piracy patrols off the coast of Somalia, the navy pilot that flies you on board may be a women, the officer of the watch ‘driving the ship’ across the Indian Ocean may be [...]
During a port visit to Djibouti by Spanish EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) flagship ESPS Méndez Núnez, and warship ESPS Rayo, Force Commander Rear Admiral Pedro García de Paredes held meetings with other EU leaders to demonstrate the commitment of EU NAVFOR to work together with other missions towards a common goal of improving security [...]
After navigating the Suez Canal and Bab-el-Mandeb strait, ESPS Rayo joined EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia – Operation Atalanta on Tuesday 26 February. Having completed her first patrol in the Southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the Spanish warship is currently alongside Djibouti, together with EU NAVFOR flagship, ESPS Méndez Núnez. With an [...]
On 24 February 2013, whilst on counter piracy patrols in the International Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) the Force Commander of EU NAVFOR, Rear Admiral Pedro García de Paredes, met with the Commander of the NATO counter-piracy Operation Ocean Shield, Rear Admiral Antonio Natale. The meeting between the two force commanders was an opportunity to discuss [...]
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, the master of the merchant [...]
On Wednesday 16 January 2013 Rear Admiral Duncan Potts handed over operational command of the European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) to Rear Admiral Bob Tarrant. Rear Admiral Potts has commanded EU NAVFOR, the European Union’s counter piracy mission off Somalia, since August 2011. This period has witnessed a considerable reduction in the number of [...]
