Nato Task Force News

Navies operate on a spectrum between deterrence and defense, to include offensive operation, support of foreign policy, and power projection to civil affair and humanitarian assistance and disaster response. Many have constabulary responsibilities, and it could be argued that, with the exception of the largest navies, most are more like a coast guard than a military force in their normal responsibilities.Every Navy is different. Yes, they all share similar challenges of acquisition…

Vice Adm. John Miller, U.S. Navy, commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT), U.S. 5th Fleet, Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) , spoke to delegates attending the IQPC Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) Middle East 2013 conference just after participating in the 8th International Institute For Strategic Studies (IISS) Manama Dialogue to discuss the development and implementation of regional security and provided a platform for leaders from more than 30 countries to engage in inter-governmental dialogue on sensitive regional issues.

The Liberian-flag bulker 'Atlantik Confidence' reported an engine room fire and sank over the Easter week-end. Rescue of the 21-member Turkish crew was supervised by USS Nicholas which was dispatched from routine NATO Task Force counter-piracy operations in the area. The U.S. warship  took command of the rescue operation and sent its helicopter to cover the 80 miles to the vessel to assess the immediate needs. Upon reaching the scene it was observed that the merchant vessel was already partially sunk but still floating.

Counter-piracy warship 'HNLMS Rotterdam' frees captives from pirated dhow, the accused to face trial in The Netherlands. After a three day hunt by NATO and EU counter piracy forces, HNLMS Rotterdam in close cooperation with EU unit FGS Sachsen, has successfully disrupted a pirated dhow. The end game took place in the coastal waters of Somalia. The crew has been freed and is in good condition. The suspected pirates will be transported to Rotterdam and will be detained awaiting further decisions on the follow-on process. HNLMS Rotterdam is the flagship of the NATO Task Force 508 and is a part of the international effort to fight piracy in the waters around Somalia. The combined NATO / EU action underlines the strength of the international maritime cooperation.

NATO disrupts pirate mother ship responsible for the attack on MV Montecristo. Following NATO's successful release of the pirated Italian merchant vessel, MV Montecristo, earlier last week, the naval units contributing to NATO's counter piracy operation succeeded in locating and disrupting the suspected pirate mother ship responsible for the attack. Successful coordination of military assets and information sharing amongst naval units operating in the region made it possible to locate the pirate dhow which was stopped whilst heading towards the Somali coast.

After busy months on patrol in the Gulf of Aden and Somali Basin, a task force of NATO warships on March 12 handed over their counter-piracy mission, (Operation Ocean Shield) to the new task force of NATO ships which had sailed to the area to take up the mission. NATO warships have been conducting counter piracy patrols off the Horn of Africa, an area of strategic importance, since October 2008. On March 12 it was the turn of the five warships from the Standing NATO Maritime Group Two, who currently come from the UK (flagship), Greece, Italy, Turkey and the U.S. to pick up the baton of this ongoing mission. Speaking about the handover between the two NATO groups…

Between the 13th and the 14th of September, the Dockwise semi-submersible, heavy-marine transport vessel, Mighty Servant 1, was safely escorted by EUNAVFOR warships through the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) in the Gulf of Aden. Dockwise is the world leader in heavy-ocean transport and installation, operating the largest fleet of 20 specialized vessels, which are able to transport inconceivably large and heavy cargoes, some weighing up to 76,000 metric tons. The Mighty Servant 1 is currently transporting the Gjøa Hull from Korea to Norway. The EUNAVFOR Belgian warship Louise-Marie, participating in the European Operation Atalanta…

A Liberian-flagged very large crude tanker, Sirius Star, was attacked more than 450 nautical miles southeast of Mombasa, Kenya, Nov. 15. The ship is owned by the Saudi Arabian-based Saudi Aramco and is operated by Vela International. The crew of 25 includes citizens of: Croatia, Great Britain, Republic of the Philippines, Poland and Saudi Arabia. This attack comes amid a decrease in the rate of successful pirate attacks on merchant vessels off the coast of Somalia. Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) data analysis has shown that the combination of both military and civilian involvement in the area has reduced the percentage of successful piracy attacks from 53 percent in August to 31 percent in October.