Photo: Counter piracy ships meet in Gulf of Aden

Dutch Commodore Luyckx who commands the Operation Atalanta’s counter-piracy force from the Dutch frigate HNLMS Tromp recently visited the commander of Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, Rear Admiral Nam Dong Woo, aboard Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy warship, Munmu the Great.

The visit provided an opportunity to strengthen the cooperation between the counter-piracy naval forces in the Gulf of Aden, with a series of coordinated naval manoeuvres and communication exercises carried out.

Both force commanders expressed the importance of the military counter-piracy presence in the region. “We must not only talk about cooperation, but also act in order to maintain a safe and secure maritime region,” Rear Admiral Nam said. Commodore Luyckx also emphasised the importance of coordination: “Our task forces complement each other – working closely together is for the benefit of all,” he stated.

Operation Atalanta works closely with CTF151, the counter-piracy task force of Combined Maritime Forces, a multi-national naval partnership which promotes security and stability. Both task forces patrol the region in order to ensure Somali piracy is not given an opportunity to return and seafarers are kept safe.