French Warship Joins EU NAVFOR Operations
On Friday, December 6, 2013, the French Navy ship FS Siroco joined the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia Operation Atalanta. FS Siroco will be the flagship of the European Union’s counter piracy operation off the coast of Somalia for the next four months. Rear Admiral Hervé Bléjean is the Force Commander of the 16th EU NAVFOR rotation. Commissioned in 1998, FS Siroco is a Foudre class Landing Ships Dock ( LPDH). The ship is 168 meters long and has a displacement of 12,000 metric tons. She accommodates a crew of 294 and has embarked for this operation marines and an ALIII helicopter.
France, Belgium Take Command of EU NAVFOR FHQ
At a ceremony in Djibouti on board the EU NAVFOR Swedish warship, HSwMS Carlkrona, Force Commander Rear Admiral (LH) Jan Thörnqvist who has been the Force Commander of EU NAVFOR Operation ATALANTA for the last four months, handed over to Rear Admiral Philippe Coindreau of France. He will lead the multinational Force Headquarters onboard the EU NAVFOR French warship De Grasse for the next four months. On Saturday 14 August the hand over took place on board HSwMS Carlskrona and the Commanders exchanged information regarding Operation ATALANTA.
EU Naval Force Headquarters Command Moves
At a ceremony in the Red Sea onboard the EU NAVFOR Spanish warship Numancia Force Commander Captain (N) Juan Garat Caramé, handed over Command of the FHQ to Commodore Pieter Bindt of the Netherlands. Commodore Bindt will lead the multinational FHQ from the EU NAVFOR Netherlands warship HNLMS Evertsen for the next four months. The EU NAVFOR warships Numancia and Evertsen met north of the narrow straight Bab al Mandeb, in the southern Red Sea. The hand over took place onboard Numancia and the Commanders exchanged information relating to Operation Atalanta and the challenges ahead.
