Eu Naval Force Somalia News

On Friday, April 10, the Seychelles Coast Guard, Air Force, Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA), Seychelles Maritime Safety Administration (SMSA) carried out a comprehensive search and rescue (SAR)exercise in the Seychelles. The Maritime Police Patrol Unit (MPPU) as well as other authorities participated as observers. The exercise was conducted together with EUCAP Nestor and the EU Naval Force Somalia – Operation Atalanta represented by the Dutch Flagship Johan de Witt, on board the Swedish Force Commander Rear Admiral Jonas Haggren.

On Thursday 8 January, a counter-piracy exercise was carried out jointly by the Seychelles Coast Guard, Air Force and Police together with the EU Naval Force Somalia – Operation Atalanta-, and the EU’s civilian maritime security capacity building Mission, EUCAP Nestor. The purpose of the exercise was twofold; firstly, to practice cooperation between the Coast Guard, Air Force, the Police and EUNAVFOR Atalanta a joint counter-piracy operation, and secondly to test procedures and routines linked to effective processing of suspected pirates and evidence handling at sea.

Hellenic Navy warship, HS Psara joined EU Naval Force Somalia, Operation Atalanta Wednesday, February 20. The Greek Navy frigate left the Salamina Naval Base on Thursday, February 13. HS Psara will be part of the EU’s counter-piracy operation in the Horn of Africa and Western Indian Ocean for a period of three months. The warship previously participated in EU Naval Force between December 2008 to April 2009. HS Psara is a Hydra class frigate and was commissioned into the Greek Navy in 1998.

On Friday 10 January, the Seychelles Coast Guard, Air Force and Police Force, together with the EU Naval Force Somalia - Operation Atalanta and EUCAP Nestor, carried out a counter-­piracy exercise in the Seychelles. The exercise involved the boarding of a suspected pirate skiff that had attacked a local fishing boat. The 'pirates' were disarmed and taken into custody, along with evidence from the skiff. The Seychelles Coast Guard then handed over the pirates and evidence to the Police Force.

On 26 September, the Seychelles Peoples Defense Force, Coast Guard and Air Force, together with the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia Operation Atalanta and EUCAP Nestor, carried out a search and rescue exercise in Seychelles waters. The operation was coordinated centrally by the Seychelles Coast Guard Maritime Operation Center and held in conjunction with the port visit of the Dutch EU NAVFOR flagship, HNLMS Johan de Witt, to the Seychelles. The EUCAP Nestor team in the Seychelles worked closely with the Coast Guard on the exercise and facilitated the liaison with EU NAVFOR.

EU Naval Force Somalia (EU NAVFOR) Operation Atalanta & NATO disrupt 2 pirated dhows in the Gulf of Aden & free hostage crew. A suspicious dhow, reportedly pirated in Bosaso – Somalia, was located off the coast of Oman by the Spanish EU NAVFOR Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRA). The French EU Naval Force frigate La Fayette was dispatched and a boarding party found the pirates had already fled from the scene in another dhow they had taken over. Later, a German MPRA…

At 1200 GMT, Wednesday April 14, the Italian Rear Admiral Giovanni Gumiero relinquished command of Task Force 465, the EU Naval Force Somalia - Operation Atalanta. The Swedish Rear Admiral Jan Thörnqvist took over command and the multinational Force Headquarters will now operate from the EU NAVFOR HSwMS Carlskrona. "Operation Atalanta is, and will continue to be, a very important operation, foremost from a humanitarian perspective. Our military effort will therefore contribute to generate relief for those who suffer in Somalia and security for seafarers sailing the waters off Somalia," admiral Thörnqvist said.