Evertsen was delayed in leaving the area whilst the issue with the 13 suspected priates, held since 2 December, was resolved.

Evertsen has taken part in the EUNAVFOR mission Operation ATALANTA. The main tasks of Operation ATALANTA are to escort merchant vessels carrying food of the ‘World Food Program’ (WFP), the protection of vulnerable ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, and to deter and disrupt piracy.

Rear Admiral Giovanni Gumiero and Commodore Pieter Bindt

With a simple ceremony off Djibouti waters, onboard the EU NAVFOR Dutch warship EVERTSEN, RADM Giovanni GUMIERO, Italian Navy, took over Command of Task Force 465 from RADM Pieter BINDT, Netherlands Navy. The Italian Navy Admiral will lead the Multinational Anti-Piracy Maritime Force in conducting the European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) – Operation ATALANTA, on board the Italian Auxiliary Ship ETNA for the next four months.

The EU NAVFOR warships EVERTSEN and ETNA met in the Gulf of Aden, off the port of Djibouti. The ceremony took place onboard EVERTSEN, where the Commanders exchanged information regarding Operation ATALANTA and its challenges. Now ETNA, under the Command of Captain Italian Navy Marco NOVELLA,will commence his duties acting as the new Flagship of the Force Commander of the EU NAVFOR Operation ATALANTA.

Admiral GUMIERO stated: “I would like to take this opporrtunity to express my gratitude for the enthusiastic and determined support to the anti piracy mission, accomplishing the assigned tasks, showing their high level of readiness and flexibility. The Task Force has achieved remarkable results so far and I am confident that with their motivation and dedication we can further enhance our effectiveness, thus granting continuity to EU efforts in establishing freedom and security at sea in this region of the world”.

ITS Etna is a naval replenishment and logistic support ship. She is capable of fully supporting long-range missions and performing Command and Control duties. The ship has high autonomous capacity to provide electrical power, fresh water. She is also fully equipped with hospital and medical facilities on board.

For Further Information

Chain of Command and Biographies
http://www.eunavfor.eu/about-us/chain-of-command/

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Commodore Pieter Bindt and Captain Seung-Woo Kim

On Wednesday 2 December the Force Commander of the European Union Naval Force Somalia (EU NAVFOR), Commodore Pieter Bindt, met with his South Korean counterpart, Commander of the Republic of Korea Naval Escort Task Group, Captain Seung-Woo Kim on board the EU NAVFOR flagship Netherlands HNLMS Evertsen in the port of Salalah, Oman.

The meeting was held to discuss developments in counter piracy operations and further cooperation between the counter piracy forces in deterring, disrupting and suppressing piracy off Somalia.

Like the EU the Republic of Korea recently extended their counter piracy mission with one year. The Republic of Korea provides escorts for convoys in the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC), the busy shipping lane in the Gulf of Aden between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. The convoys are in principle for national flagged, owned or crewed ships but other ships can attach.

Captain Kim said that South Korea studies the merits of having details of its convoys published on the MSCHOA website. When not conducting national convoys, the South Korean flagship Dea Joyeong frequently operates under CTF151 flag (the counter piracy task force of the Combined Maritime Forces) and then participates in the defense of the IRTC.

Commodore Bindt briefed Captain Kim on the Shared Awareness and De-confliction (SHADE) meeting in Bahrein which he briefed on the coordination mechanisms at sea now and suggestions for further developments.  In the SHADE, navies, military organizations and industry share information and de-conflict counter piracy efforts off the coast of Somalia.

Established in December 2008, EU NAVFOR is an European Union Task Force established to protect vessels of the ‘World Food Program (WFP)’ delivering food aid to displaced persons in Somalia, to protect vulnerable shipping through the Gulf of Aden and off the Somali coast and to prevent, deter and repress acts of piracy and armed robbery off the Somali coast, including arrest.

Commodore Pieter Bindt, Rear Admiral José Domingos Pereira Da Cunha and Rear Admiral Scott Sanders

The Commanding Officers of the three largest Counter Piracy Task Forces in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean met on board the NATO flagship NRP Alvares Cabral on November 21 in the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor in the Gulf of Aden, one of the world’s busiest shipping routes between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.

The three commanding officers, Commodore Pieter Bindt, Force Commander of the European Naval Force Somalia (EU NAVFOR), Rear Admiral Scott Sanders, Commander of the Combined Task Force 151 (CTF 151) and Rear Admiral José Domingos Pereira Da Cunha, Commander of Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG 1) met to evaluate their recent initiatives to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of their combined counter piracy forces and discuss ways ahead for continuous improvement after the recent change in command of the NATO counter piracy operation Ocean Shield. Despite three different, but overlapping, mandates they have a common goal to deter, disrupt and repress piracy.

The Commander of SNMG1, who conducted counter piracy operations earlier this year, remarked that he had seen “a marked improvement in cooperation, effectiveness and efficiency of the combined counter piracy effort.”

Presently there are approximately 25 ships from 16 different nations conducting counter-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. They are part of EU NAVFOR, NATO, CTF 151, or nationally deployed such as China, Russia, Japan, India and many others.

All three Commanders agree that the solution to piracy is in stabilizing Somalia itself and bringing law and order to the area. They pledged to continue their deterrence, disruption and suppression of piracy in the area.

Merchant ships are strongly advised to implement the advertised Best Management Practices and heed the routing advice as issued on the “Maritime Security Centre Horn of Africa” website: www.mschoa.eu

The commanders discussed the developments in pirate behavior

On Sunday November 22nd the Force Commander of the European Union Naval Force Somalia (EU NAVFOR), Commodore Pieter Bindt, met with his Chinese counterpart, Commander of Task Force 529 (CTF 529), Rear Admiral Wang Zhiguo on board the EU NAVFOR Netherlands flagship HNLMS Evertsen in the Golf of Aden.

The meeting was held to discuss developments in counter piracy operations and further cooperation between EU NAVFOR and China in deterring, disrupting and suppressing piracy off Somalia.

The commanders discussed the developments in pirate behavior and how the attacks are moving deeper into the Indian Ocean. China wishes to increase the co-operation with the other Task Forces in the area, including a rotational role in the coordination of counter piracy operations.

Discussions also centred on the Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE) meeting, where navies and organizations share information and deconflict counter piracy efforts off the coast of Somalia. This meeting is currently co-chaired by Combined Maritime Force (CMF) and the EU. At a recent meeting between EU NAVFOR delegates and members of the Chinese PLA in Beijing, it was agreed that China would also be considered as a co Chairman of the SHADE. A final decision will be taken at a future SHADE meeting.

Commodore Bindt explained the current coordination of the counter piracy efforts between EU NAVFOR, CMF and NATO to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of their combined counter piracy forces.

Established in December 2008, EU NAVFOR is an European Union Task Force established to protect vessels of the ‘World Food Program (WFP)’ delivering food aid to displaced persons in Somalia, to protect vulnerable shipping through the Gulf of Aden and off the Somali coast and to prevent, deter and repress acts of piracy and armed robbery off the Somali coast, including arrest.

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Arrival of HMLNS Evertsen in Muscat Port on 12 Nov 09

From 12th till 17th of November, EU NAVFOR Netherlands Flagship HNLMS Evertsen visited Muscat, Oman. During this visit the EU NAVFOR Force Commander, Commodore Pieter Bindt RNLN, met with the Deputy Governor of Muscat, Mr. Said Ibrahim Saud al Busaidi, the Commander of the Omani Navy, Rear Admiral Abdullah bin Khamis Al-Raisi and the Commander of the Omani Coast Guard, Brigadier Ali bin Salah al Balushi.

The Force Commander conveyed the gratitude of the EU for the support Oman provides to the EU Naval Force by opening the ports of Salalah and Muscat for replenishment of the EU Task Force units. The Omani authorities were also informed on the latest developments of pirate activities, anti-piracy operations and the conduct of EU Operation ATALANTA in particular. The formation of the pan Arabic anti-piracy Task Force and possibilities of cooperation and information exchange were discussed.

HNLMS Evertsen takes part in the EU NAVFOR Somalia – Operation ATALANTA as flagship and has embarked the EU NAVFOR staff. The main tasks of EU NAVFOR are to escort merchant vessels carrying food of the ‘World Food Program’ (WFP), the protection of vulnerable ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean and to deter and disrupt piracy.

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Commodore Bindt met with his Japanese counterpart, Commander of Escort Division Two (CCD2), Captain Arihara

On Sunday October 25th the Force Commander of the European Union Naval Force  Somalia (EU NAVFOR), Commodore Bindt, met with his Japanese counterpart, Commander of Escort Division Two (CCD2), Captain Arihara on board the Netherlands EU NAVFOR flagship HNLMS Evertsen in the Golf of Aden.

The meeting was held to mark the good cooperation between the two task forces and discuss developments and future plans to deter, disrupt and suppress piracy in the waters off Somalia.

The meeting offered an excellent opportunity for exchanging information between the different staffs and to share experiences on fighting piracy.

Commodore Bindt and his Japanese counterpart in the brigde wing of EU NAVFOR Netherlands warship EVERTSEN

CCD2 provides anti-piracy escorts for convoys in the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor, the busy shipping lane in the Gulf of Aden between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. Recently Japan offered to advertise details of its convoy on the MSCHOA website although, in principle, other nationally flagged ships can join the preplanned convoys when complying with advertised minimum requirements.

During the last few months the Japanese Maritime Patrol Aircraft, operating from Djibouti, proved to be highly effective in detecting suspicious skiffs in an early stage, providing the naval units in the area the opportunity to react quickly and to deter pirates before an act of piracy was committed.

Established in December 2008, EU NAVFOR is an European Union Task Force established to protect vessels of the ‘World Food Program (WFP)’ delivering food aid to displaced persons in Somalia, to protect vulnerable shipping through the Gulf of Aden and off the Somali coast and to prevent, deter and repress acts of piracy and armed robbery off the Somali coast, including arrest.

Commodore Steve Chick, Commander of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG 2), Commodore Pieter Bindt, Force Commander of the European Naval Force Somalia (EU NAVFOR), Rear Admiral Scott Sanders, Commander of the Combined Task Force 151 (CTF 151)

The Commanding Officers of the three largest Counter Piracy Task Forces in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean met on board the EU NAVFOR flagship HNLMS Evertsen on October 26 in the International Recognized Transit Corridor in the Gulf of Aden, one of the world’s busiest shipping routes between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.

The three commanding officers, Commodore Pieter Bindt, Force Commander of the European Naval Force Somalia (EU NAVFOR), Rear Admiral Scott Sanders, Commander of the Combined Task Force 151 (CTF 151) and Commodore Steve Chick, Commander of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG 2) met to evaluate their recent initiatives to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of their combined counter piracy forces and discuss ways ahead for continuous improvement. Despite three different, but overlapping, mandates they have a common goal to deter, disrupt and repress piracy.

Presently there are approximately 27 ships from 16 different nations conducting counter-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. They are part of EU NAVFOR, NATO, CTF 151, or nationally deployed, like Japan, China, India and Saudi Arabia. Piracy and its threat to commerce, regional stability, and freedom of navigation is something that governments, worldwide, are concerned about.

Four ships have been hijacked in the past two months. This is traumatic for the crews and others involved. However, the efforts of merchant ships increasingly committing to the best management practices, the activities of the counter piracy forces and the efforts of the regional authorities, managed to keep the vast majority of ships transiting through this huge area safe.

As of the end of October the chance for a pirate of actually hijacking, a ship, if attacked, is 1 in 9. This is a significant decrease compared to the 1 in 3 in the meteorologically similar period from 15 February until 15 April this year. In the Gulf of Aden the pirate success rate has dropped to 0%.

Presenting its quarterly report on piracy, the International Maritime Bureau recently declared the activities of the combined naval forces were instrumental in the decrease of Piracy and were “very, very effective”.

All three Commanders agree that the solution is in stability and a rule of law on land and regional capacity building to deter, disrupt and repress piracy.

LtGen David Leaky and Cdr Pieter Bindt

On sunday 11 october the Ambassadors of the Political and Security Committee (PSC) of the European Union visited the European Union Naval Force under the Security and Defence Policy, the first Naval operation under ESDP.

The visit was hosted onboard the EU NAVFOR German warship KARLSRUHE in the port of Djibouti at the invitation of the EU NAVFOR Force Commander Commodore Pieter Bindt. In his Brief to the Brussels Delegation the Dutch Force Commander gave an overview of the operational tasks and the challenges they faced daily. He went on to explain the considerable achievements to date and how well the different nations’ ships were working together.

The Director General European Union Military Staff, General David Leaky, expressed his delight at the success of the visit. “It is really important to show the Ambassadors, what the EU NAVFOR has achieved so far. The brief from the Force Commander and the Commanding Officer of the frigate Karlsruhe gave them a lasting impression of the success of EU NAVFOR mission”

Skoog and his Ambassador collegues get certain informations in the EU NAVFOR MPA cockpit

The Head of Department and Representative for Sweden to the PSC, Olof Skoog stated, “the EU was able to position the EU NAVFOR Mission in the Centre of all anti-Piracy activities”.

The Delegation were particularly interested in the maritime assets that have been used so far in the Gulf of Aden and the Somali basin down to the Seychelles.  After visiting Karlsruhe they were given the opportunity to see the Maritme Patrol Aircraft in the Air Detachement. Ambassador Skoog was extremely impressed by the Cooperation between all units and their capabilities to deter and prevent piracy along the Somali coastline.

EU NAVFOR Force Commander Commodore Pieter Bindt was pleased with the meetings and stated: “As Force Commander I consider it an honour and great benefit to inform the political deciding and guiding Committee of Operation Atalanta in progress, developments and results after 10 months of EU NAVFOR operations”.

The EU NAVFOR Norwegian warship HNOMS FRIDTJOF NANSEN in close cooperation with CTF 151

A meeting of the SHADE Group met in Bahrain on 29 Sept 2009 to discuss practical aspects of counter-piracy off the coast of Somalia.

SHADE was established in December 2008 as a means of sharing ‘best practice’, conduct informal discussions and deconflict the activities of those nations and organisations involved in military counter-piracy operations in the region. Initially, SHADE participation involved the Combined Maritime Forces based in Bahrain, the European Naval Force EU NAVFOR and NATO but it grew quickly to include many regional nations and other navies operating under independent mandates, such as China, India, Japan and Russia.

SHADE is a voluntary international military group that meets on a monthly basis in Bahrain.  In all, 26 nations were present, along with 3 Coalitions and representatives from industry. This meeting welcomed Ukraine as the newest participant.

A number of good examples of practical coordination at sea were highlighted in the meeting.

• On 24 July the EU NAVFOR Italian warship MAESTRALE with the NATO Turkish warship GEDIZ and the Indian warship GODAVARI worked closely together to deter a possible pirate attack.
• On 22 August, when in a combined action including EU NAVFOR ships, fast rhibs, a helicopter and a Japanese maritime patrol aircraft, a suspected pirate skiff was stopped and disarmed. (-> read more)
• On 26 August EU NAVFOR ship FRIDTJOF NANSEN and a helicopter, in cooperation with a South Korean navy helicopter from CTF 151 responded to an emergency call. (-> read more)
• On Wednesday 26th of August the commander of the European Union Naval Force Somalia, Commodore Pieter Bindt RNLN (CTF 465) met with Rear Admiral Scott Sanders USN, Commander of the Combined Task Force 151 (CTF 151) on board the CTF 151 flagship USS ANZIO (CG68). (-> read more)

The meeting achieved broad consensus on a set of terms of reference, agreed to explore opportunities to coordinate logistics and resources, commissioned further work on improving communications with merchant shipping and campaign effectiveness.

SHADE achievements over the last 9 months include:

• Establishment of an Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) in the Gulf of Aden, which was endorsed by IMO in July 2009
• Development of the IRTC Coordination Guide
• Agreement on the utility of a common geographical reference system
• Support for the innovative military communications system MERCURY, which allows all SHADE participants to coordinate together in real time
• Emergence of coordinated focused operations off the coast of Somalia
• Improving coordination with industry
• Command opportunities and assets being shared across SHADE participants – e.g. Singaporean and Turkish commanders operating from US warships