Suspect pirates who were captured by EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) frigate HNLMS Van Amstel

The 11 suspect pirates had pirated an Iranian dhow with 17 innocent Iranian fishermen onboard at the beginning of May and it is thought the dhow was probably related to the unsuccessful attack against MV Super Lady on Wednesday 9 may.
The suspect pirates are expected to be handed over to the Seychelles authorities in the coming days.

Boat-handling training with the local Coast-Guard

This military cooperation is seen as an important way to improve the counter-piracy capabilities of the Seychelles’ Coast-Guard. The Seychelles has an exclusive economic zone of 1.4 million km².

This training is part of a coordinated planning approach established under the supervision of Force Headquarters on board FS Marne, and is implemented by ships when visiting ports in the area of operations. This is part of EU’s comprehensive approach in the fight against piracy, and particularly of EUNAVFOR’s will to participate actively in the maritime capacity building process of regional navies and coast guards.

Corte-Real is part of the EU’s counter piracy mission – Operation “Atalanta”, off the Horn of Africa. She has an embarked helicopter and 2 boarding teams and her crew comprises 196 men and women.

EU Naval Force - Counter Piracy Operation

The operation was conducted in accordance with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1851 and has the full support of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia. The focused, precise and proportionate action was conducted from the air and all forces returned safely to EU warships on completion. Whilst assessment is on-going, surveillance of the area during the action indicates that no Somalis were injured ashore as a result of EU action.

Speaking about the operation, the Operation Commander of the EU Naval Force, Rear Admiral Duncan Potts said “We believe this action by the EU Naval Force will further increase the pressure on, and disrupt pirates’ efforts to get out to sea to attack merchant shipping and dhows. The local Somali people and fishermen – many of whom have suffered so much because of piracy in the region, can be reassured that our focus was on known pirate supplies and will remain so in the future.”

At no point did EU Naval Force ‘boots’ go ashore. Rear Admiral Potts went on to say “The EU Naval Force action against pirate supplies on the shoreline is merely an extension of the disruption actions carried out against pirate ships at sea, and Operation Atalanta remains committed to fighting piracy off the Horn of Africa and the humanitarian mission of protecting World Food Programme ships that bring vital aid to the Somali people.”

Operation Atalanta is part of the EU’s comprehensive approach to tackling symptoms and root causes of piracy in the Horn of Africa and the EU strategic framework for that region adopted in November 2011. Currently there are 9 warships in the EU Naval Force and 5 Maritime Patrol Aircraft.

The reach of Somali pirates is vast; they have attacked merchant ships up to 1,750 miles off the Somali coast. Preventing them getting out to sea is a crucial step in removing their impunity ashore and to further the success of counter-piracy operations.

EU NAVFOR officer briefing President of the European Council Herman van Rompuy and Executive Secretary General of the European External Action Service, Pierre Vimont

Staff from the European Union Naval Force alongside other missions* deployed within the framework of the European Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), presented Operation Atalanta to visitors of the EU Open Day on Saturday, 9 May 2012.

At the Operation Atalanta stand inside the European Council (Justus Lipsius Building) representatives of the Operation Headquarters (OHQ) gave visiting European Union citizens an overview on the fight against piracy and the protection task of the EU Naval Forces Somalia for the World Food Programme (WFP) and African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) shipping.

For more information please see the Presentation and the Video on EU Naval Force Somalia – Operation Atalanta.

* e.g. EU Training Mission to Somalia and EUCAP Nestor with a view on Somalia and the Horn of Africa. For more information please visit the European External Action Service website.

EU Naval Forces rescues iranian fishermen

On 11 May EU NAVFOR frigate HNLMS Van Amstel released a fishing dhow and her Iranian crew off the coast of Somalia. The dhow had been pirated 10 days earlier and was being used to carry out pirate attacks on merchant vessels.
Yesterday afternoon, during a surveillance flight 400 nautical miles off the Somali coast, the helicopter from Van Amstel identified the dhow towing two skiffs, with what looked like piracy-related equipment on board, such as ladders.

HNLMS Van Amstel quickly arrived at the dhow’s position and the boarding team was sent on board for investigation. After a few minutes, weapons were found and the boarding team was able to discriminate the 17 innocent Iranian crew members from 11 suspected pirates.

The fishing dhow had been pirated off the Omani coast, and is probably related to the unsuccessful attack against MV Super Lady on May 9, only two days before.

By this action, EU NAVFOR frigate Van Amstel has rendered inoperative a pirate group and its mothership. Above all the Dutch sailors freed the very relieved and happy Iranian crew, who expressed their gratitude and joy at being able to now go back home to their families.

EU NAVFOR frigate HNLMS Van Amstel released a fishing dhow and her Iranian crew off the coast of Somalia

EU NAVFOR frigate HNLMS Van Amstel

EU NAVFOR – Operation ATALANTA conducts the deterrence, prevention and repression of acts of piracy and armed robbery off the Somali coast

After release - one of the rescued iranian fishermen.

Above all the Dutch sailors freed the very relieved and happy Iranian crew, who expressed their gratitude and joy at being able to now go back home to their families.

The coast guards were briefed on the measures to be implemented when under pirate attack

This was also the opportunity to brief them on Best Management Practices and protective measures that could be carried out by merchant vessels. The coast guards will therefore be able to inform in turn the merchant vessels cruising off or in Djibouti, and thus participate in the fight against piracy. Knowing each other will also possibly ensure enhanced coordination when dealing with piracy event off Djibouti.

The Djibouti navy sailors were mainly briefed on Mercury, an internet-based secured network used as an alert and coordination by all the anti-piracy stakeholders, civilian and military. This training is paramount for them in view of the Djiboutian Navy operational center which will be inaugurated soon.

The Djibouti navy sailors were mainly briefed on Mercury, an internet-based secured network.

A coordinated planning of all the training sessions in regional countries has been established, under the supervision of Force Headquarters on board FS Marne, and is implemented by all EUNAVFOR ships when visiting ports in the area of operation. This is part of EU’s comprehensive approach on the fight against piracy and particularly of EUNAVFOR’s will to participate actively in the maritime capacity building process of regional navies and coast guards.

20th EU Open Day

From 1985, 9 May was established as Europe Day and events around Europe and the rest of world mark the achievements and challenges of building a Europe based on peace, social progress, economic development and solidarity. And on this occasion, every year the EU opens its doors to the public.

If you want to know more about the EU Naval Forces Somalia; how Operation Atalanta supports the World Food Programme and the African Union Mission to Somalia and the fight against piracy, then seek us out in the Justus Lipsius Building, Rue de la Loi 175, 1048 Brussels.

EU NAVFOR invites you to visit our presentation stand at the EU Open Day on 12 May 2012 in Brussels.

Where to find us on EU Open Day

Rear Admiral Dupuis welcomes Mr. Delcroix, Head of EU Delegation in Djibouti, on board Marne

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, and a regular harbor for warships sailing down the Red Sea and heading towards the Indian Ocean to fight against piracy.  Djibouti is in particular a major logistical fulcrum for Operation Atalanta.

In the presence of H.E. Mr Nicola Delcroix – Head of the EU delegation, and H.E. Mr Rene Forceville – Ambassador of France in Djibouti, on 23 April Rear Admiral Dupuis welcomed on board representatives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, defense and transport, Djiboutian port authorities, non-governmental organizations such as the World Food Programme, together with the ambassadors of countries participating in the fight against piracy. EU NAVFOR Force Commander also met Vice Admiral Franken, U.S. joint commander for the Horn of Africa (CJTFHOA).

Rear Admiral Dupuis also visited the bases of the Navy and Coast Guard in Djibouti. The continuing development of the capacity to monitor maritime approaches and to intervene when necessary, allows Djibouti to conduct actions which are complementary to those of the international counter-piracy forces. The recent creation of a network of semaphores and an operations centre facilitates the surveillance of territorial waters and the important port area. To support their maritime capacity building, EUNAVFOR Force Commander Rear Admiral Dupuis offered to strengthen exchanges, exercises and training with the Navy and Coast Guards, on occasion of EUNAVFOR ships’ visits in Djibouti.

These meetings are part of the overall comprehensive approach of the European Union, to assist countries in the region to develop their own capacities to combat piracy.

This visit was also an opportunity to meet the Atalanta Support Area in Djibouti, as well as the crews of the maritime patrol aircraft based on the French Air Force base in Djibouti, in order to coordinate their action and better understand each other’s operational capabilities.

]]> http://www.eunavfor.eu/2012/05/eu-navfor-force-commander-emphasizes-development-of-regional-cooperation-in-the-fight-against-piracy-in-djibouti-2/feed/ 0 http://www.eunavfor.eu/2012/05/busy-24-hours-and-nato-visit-for-eunavfor-french-flag-ship-marne/ http://www.eunavfor.eu/2012/05/busy-24-hours-and-nato-visit-for-eunavfor-french-flag-ship-marne/#comments Sat, 05 May 2012 08:58:20 +0000 EU NAVFOR Public Affairs Office http://www.eunavfor.eu/?p=11042

Force Commander Rear Admiral Dupuis received his NATO counterpart

April 28, late afternoon, after 24 dense hours and three consecutive replenishments at sea led by EU NAVFOR flag ship Marne, Force Commander Rear Admiral Dupuis received his counterpart from NATO – Operation Ocean Shield.

This long sequence started at dusk on April 27 for the command and replenishment ship Marne, with the first replenishment at sea (RAS) in favor of the EU NAVFOR Italian frigate Scirocco. RAS at night is even more complicated due to the low visibility, and requires extra care and attention.

While she was escorting a ship chartered by the World Food Programme from Salalah (Oman) to Berbera in northern Somalia, surveillance frigate Nivose, also part of the EU Naval Force, benefited from RAS in the morning of April 28. On this occasion, the commanding officer and his operations officer were received on board Marne by Rear Admiral Dupuis and his staff for an update on the operations. As a perfect example of coordination within the EU NAVFOR Operation Atalanta, the Portuguese frigate Corte Real took responsibility of the escort for a few hours while Nivôse was being replenished.

In the late afternoon, it was the turn of the Portuguese frigate Corte Real to get closer to Marne for a RAS and transfer of spare parts.

Concomitantly, EU NAVFOR Force Commander Rear Admiral Dupuis received his counterpart on board Marne, who is NATO’s anti-piracy task force engaged in operation Ocean Shield. Transferred by Marne’s helicopter, Turkish Rear Admiral Sinan Azmi Tosun was able to discuss the current situation and to strengthen information exchange and operational coordination. Although these two forces have different command chains, their goal remains the same. Good cooperation between all the counter-piracy stakeholders is therefore a guarantee for mutual efficiency.

NATO – Operation Ocean Shield is one of three international forces operating against piracy off Somalia, with the EU NAVFOR, European force Operation Atalanta, and Combined Maritime Forces (Combined Task strength).

Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) were trained in damage control and basic life saving

On Monday 23 April Dutch warship HNLMS Van Amstel, who is participating in the EU’s counter piracy mission – Operation Atalanta, hosted a media event during a port visit to Dar es Salaam.  The successful media event was organized to highlight the EU Naval Force’s (EU NAVFOR) efforts to fight against piracy along the East African coast and also the support given to humanitarian operations in the region.  During her time with EU NAVFOR HNLMS Van Amstel has escorted two merchant vessels chartered by the World Food (WFP) programme to deliver food to Somalia.

 The Dutch Ambassador in Tanzania introduced the media event, followed by presentations from the country director of WFP in Tanzania on the challenges of supporting people in the Horn of Africa and Tanzania, and the Commanding Officer of HNLMS Van Amstel on the counter piracy efforts by EUNAVFOR.  Finally the EU Ambassador in Tanzania highlighted the growing collaboration between the European Union and the Tanzanian Government

 On completion of the presentations, the journalists were given a guided tour of the warship whilst military personnel from the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) were trained in damage control and basic life saving procedures by members of HNLMS Van Amstel’s crew.

 On Tuesday 24 April 22 members of the TPDF also had the unique opportunity to sail with HNLMS Van Amstel for the day.  It was their first time they had sailed on a navy ship, with demonstrations given to show HNLMS Van Amstel capabilities.  After lunch the military were picked up by a patrol vessel to return to Dar Es Salaam and HNLMS Van Amstel returned to her counter piracy patrols as part of Operation ATALANTA.