Eu Navfor Force News

EU NAVFOR military personnel seized an active Pirate Action Group (PAG) whaler and destroyed it on Sunday, October 28, 2018This followed a sustained period of surveillance after a piracy attack was conducted against the Hong Kong-flagged Bulk Carrier KSL Sydney on October 16, 340 Nm off the coast of Somalia.Rear Admiral Alfonso Perez de Nanclares, the EU NAVFOR Force Commander, ordered counter-piracy forces to the area for further investigation. EU NAVFOR Spanish Maritime Patrol…

Due to the application of BMP protection measures by the Master, his crew and the private security team, the piracy attack was thwarted and the crew and vessel remained safe.The Master had already evacuated the crew to the citadel when the embarked Armed Security Team (PAST) responded to the attack. There was a sustained exchange of fire before the skiff with several armed people on board broke off and changed course away from the MV.Following the collective advice of industry and military counter-piracy operations, as written down in Best Management practices 5 (link here), the Master’s actions and the on board security team’s reaction…

Suspect Pirates Apprehended by EU Naval Force Flagship Transferred To The Seychelles. On 29 January 2014, international collaboration in the fight against piracy resulted in the transfer of five men by the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia Operation Atalanta flagship, FS Siroco, to the Republic of Seychelles, with the aim of prosecuting them for acts of piracy. On Saturday 18 January, FS Siroco, in cooperation with Japanese assets in support of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF/CTF 151)…

On January 18, 2014, the French EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia Operation Atalanta flagship FS Siroco in cooperation with Japanese assets released the crew of a Dhow that was suspected to have been used as pirate mother-ship. The flagship apprehended five suspected pirates believed to be responsible for an attack on an oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden a day earlier. The oil tanker issued a distress call to the UK Maritime Trade Operation (UKMTO) on the evening of Friday, January 17, reporting to be under attack.

Commodore Peter Lenselink and members of his staff visited German frigate FGS Niedersachsen, which is currently part of the EU's counter piracy task force off the coast of Somalia. During his visit, Commodore Lenselink visited the different departments on board and met members of the ship's staff. The Force Commander was given a briefing on the capabilities of the Bremen Class frigate and the German Boarding Team carried out a helicopter fast-roping demonstration. Speaking during the visit, the Commanding Officer of FGS Niedersachsen, Commander Kurt Leonard said, "Over the years, The Netherlands and Germany have had close relations as neighbors and our navies have worked together on many operational deployments.

EU Naval Force Flagship, 'ITS San Giusto' provides urgent medical help for a merchant seaman off the Horn of Africa. The sailor, a crew member of Bahamas flagged merchant vessel MV Anna Victoria had broken both his legs following an accident at sea and the EU flagship, which was conducting counter-piracy patrols nearby, was able to respond quickly by sending her helicopter, with a medical team onboard. The medical team provided immediate first aid and pain relief, before the sailor was flown to Salalah in Oman, where he is now receiving further hospital treatment.

The EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) French flag ship FS Marne visited Djibouti between Saturday 21 April and Friday 27 April. Whilst there the Task Force Commander, Rear Admiral Jean-Baptiste Dupuis and his staff met with representatives and authorities of the maritime world and various stakeholders in the fight against piracy. Located at the entrance to the Gulf of Aden and near the coast of Somalia, Djibouti is an important, strategic port in the fight against piracy. Its waters are a choke point for many merchant ships…

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 NAVFOR HNLMS Johan de Witt has effectively blocked known pirate camp on the Somali coast from access to the open sea. As an amphibious ship, HNLMS Johan de Witt is able, from a dock within the ship, to launch a number of smaller vessels, LCVPs (Landing craft for vehicle and personnel transport), that can provide a blockading role on selected known pirate areas of the Somali coast. Under orders from the Swedish EU NAVFOR Force Headquarters Ship Carlskrona, the warship Johan…

On April 25, the EU NAVFOR warship ESPS VictoriaICTORIA intercepted a pirate action group (PAG) comprising one mother ship, a Whaler, and two skiffs. The suspected pirates were detected by the frigate’s helicopter 40 miles from the Somali coast north west of the Seychelles. The helicopter crew saw that the mother ship was carrying a large number of fuel drums, and also the normal paraphernalia for hijacking ships (ladders, hooks, etc); there was no fishing gear on board. EU NAVFOR warship closed the PAG position and…

The afternoon, March 29, the EU NAVFOR Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) from the Seychelles supported the Seychelles Coast Guard vessel Topaz to locate and apprehend a hijacked ship. Robust action from the Topaz ensured the release of 27 hostages: nine pirates have been captured. Early the morning of March 29, the EU NAVFOR Force Commander, Adm Giovanni Gumiero, tasked the Seychelles Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) to support the Seychelles Coast Guard vessel Topaz in an anti piracy operation against three hijacked ships.

On October 10 two French fishing vessels in position approximately 160 nm North of Seychelles reported being under attack by pirate skiffs. The attacks were unsuccessful. EU NAVFOR reacted immediately and launched the Luxembourg Maritime Patrol Aircraft stationed at the Seychelles to investigate the area of the incident. The EU NAVFOR Force Headquarters onboard EU NAVFOR Netherlands warship EVERTSEN contacted the Seychelles Coastguard, who had a patrol vessel operating 50nm from the incident. The EU NAVFOR Luxembourg Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) located the pirate skiffs, two fast attack skiffs and one mother skiff, close to the position of the earlier attack on the French fishing vessels. The MPA directed the Seychelles Coastguard to the scene.

Following the detention of the skiff and suspected pirates by the EU NAVFOR German warship Brandenburg on 7 Sep 2009, when the skiff refused to obey the command to stop, the four individuals involved in the incident have now been released, on order of the EU NAVFOR Force Commander, and left the warship en route to Somalia. All their pirate equipment (including weapons) has been confiscated and will be destroyed. The body of the suspected pirate who was wounded (and later died of his wounds) remains onboard the warship Brandenburg until arrangements to repatriate him are in place. Local authorities in Somalia and the International Committee for the Red Cross are being consulted.

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.