Royal Netherlands Navy’s Holland-class offshore patrol vessels HNLMS Groningen left for the waters off Somalia on August 9.
HNLMS Groningen is deployed under the flag of the European Union’s counterpiracy mission Atalanta.
This marks the first time the Royal Netherlands Navy has sent a patrol vessel on a counterpiracy missions off the East African coast. Before this, multi-purpose frigates, air defence and command frigates and an amphibian transport ship were deployed.
The Navy has been involved in protecting and inspecting ships in the Gulf of Aden and the waters around the Horn of Africa since 2008.
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Image: The Netherlands Navy