FGS BREMEN boarding a skiff

On the morning of Saturday 23rd of January, EU NAVFOR Warship BREMEN boarded a skiff inside IRTC.

The skiff was detected by a helicopter from the Japanese Navy, during a routine anti piracy patrol in the area, and reported its presence to the EU Warship. Due to the proximity of a convoy of merchant vessels transiting the Gulf of Aden, the skiff was intercepted and boarded. Nothing suspicious was found on board and the skiff was released. Unprecedented cooperation between international navies and different task forces in the region show how piracy is being combatted.

EU NAVFOR SOMALIA Operation ATALANTA main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid of the ‘World Food Program’ (WFP) and to protect vulnerable ships in the Gulf of Aden in order to deter and disrupt piracy.

Navarra escorts MV Power Star

On the 23rd of January, EU NAVFOR Warship ESPS NAVARRA completed successfully the escort of MV POWER STAR to Salalah.

The World Food Programme chartered vessel left Mombassa on the 13th of January and initially met EU Warship FGS BREMEN and was accompanied until treaching Mogadishu. From there ESPS NAVARRA took  responsibility for escorting the ship to her final destination.

Both EUNAVFOR Warships provided close protection to the MV POWER STAAR while transiting the Somali coast and across the Gulf of Aden. These waters have recently witnessed a number of attempted pirate hijackings.

MV POWER STAR was chartered by the WFP office in Nairobi (Kenya) and is carrying humanitarian aid to Somalia. No WFP chartered vessels has been hijacked since the beginning of EU NAVFOR mission in December 2008.

EU NAVFOR SOMALIA Operation ATALANTA main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid of the ‘World Food Program’ (WFP) and to protect vulnerable ships in the Gulf of Aden in order to deter and disrupt piracy

FGS BREMEN escorting MV DELVINA

On the morning of Monday 21 December, the EU NAVFOR warship FGS BREMEN, completed her successful escort of the MV DELVINA .

The MV DELVINA, a Greek owned (Marshall Island flagged ship) bulk carrier, that had been released on 17 December, was escorted by the BREMEN over the last few days and has now arrived in Mombasa (KENYA). MV DELVINA, with a crew of 21 and deadweight of 53.629 tons, was hijacked by a pirate group on the 5th of November and held at HARADERA, on the south Somali Coast.

At the same time, the BREMEN escorted the AMISOM (UNSOA) chartered (Sierra Leone flagged ship) cargo carrier named the MV ALPHA KIRAWIRA. The MV ALPHA KIRAWIRA was transiting from Mombasa to Mogadishu and then returned.

EUNAVFOR SOMALIA Operation ATALANTA main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aids of the ‘World Food Program’ (WFP), to protect vulnerable ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean and to deter and disrupt piracy.

Photo Gallery:

Early in the morning, MV Theoforus I, a Panama flagged Bulk Carrier was attacked by pirates using automatic weapons and a Rocket Propelled Grenade. The ship took evasive action until the arrival of a NATO Turkish naval vessel TCG Gediz arrived on the scene. The warship neutralized a suspected skiff in the vicinity of the attack position and weapons and pirate paraphernalia were seized.

A few hours later MV BBC Thames, a Liberian flagged General Cargo Ship, reported being under attack. EU NAVFOR German warship FGS Bremen was immediately tasked to support the Cargo ship and the Bremen’s helicopter was launched. The attackers fled but Bremen found a skiff in the vicinity and on sighting the helicopter the skiff stopped. FGS Bremen conducted a boarding where weapons, ammunition and RPG grenades were found and seized.

FGS Bremen takes 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.

Rhib of EU NAVFOR warship BREMEN (middle) and an attack skiff and one mother skiff (left)

On the early morning of  October 20th 2009 EU NAVFOR German warship FGS Bremen stopped 3 skiffs in the Indian Ocean, 450 nautical miles East of Mogadishu and 300 nautical miles North-west of the Seychelles.

The EU NAVFOR ship Bremen, on sighting the two attack skiffs and one mother skiff, filled with fuel barrels and supplies, ordered them to stop. The skiffs tried to flee and Bremen fired warning shots across their bows after which two of the skiffs stopped. The third skiff was stopped with warning shots from the helicopter. Boarding teams were sent from the Bremen to the skiffs and during the time it took to get onboard the skiffs, the suspected pirates threw weapons and pirate equipment overboard.

Rhib of EU NAVFOR warship BREMEN (second from left) and two attack skiffs and one mother skiff (second from right)

There were 10 persons on board the skiffs and after questioning, and all remaining pirate related paraphernalia was seized, they were allowed to proceed.

This is the second time in two weeks that EU NAVFOR ship Bremen has found three skiffs with suspected pirates operating in these waters. In the same period other pirate skiffs and equipment were seized by the Seychellois Coast Guard in cooperation with the EU NAVFOR Maritime Patrol Aircraft based in the Seychelles, the EU NAVFOR Spanish frigate Canarias and the French Replenishment ship, Somme.

Bremen takes part in the EU NAVFOR Somalia – Operation ATALANTA. The main tasks 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.

The EU NAVFOR helicopter fired warning shots and the skiffs stopped. The crew from the helicopter observed that the suspected pirates threw a number of items over board. A boarding party from the German warship found on the skiff grappling hooks, ammunition, GPS and 10 barrels of fuel. The skiffs had no fishing equipment onboard and after confiscating the suspected pirate equipment the mother skiff and crew were released.

EU NAVFOR warship BREMEN

Late afternoon of Sunday 20^th of September, a Bulk Carrier reported an approach of a skiff while in the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor in the Gulf of Aden. On board of the Bulk Carrier a unit of the Yemeni Navy was embarked. On sighting of these military personnel the skiff abandoned the approach and tried to flee as reported by the merchant vessel to the UK Maritime Trade Organization in Bahrain. UKMTO alerted other merchant vessels and the Counter Piracy Forces on MERCURY, the EU introduced common counter piracy communication system.

Thereupon a Japanese P3 reconnaissance aircraft, already on site, reported position information to other Counter Piracy forces. The Australian warship TOOWOOMBA of CTF 151, closest to the skiff, was assisted by the helicopter of the German EU NAVFOR warship FGS BREMEN in stopping the fleeing skiff. On sighting of the helicopter unknown items and a ladder were thrown over the bow of the skiff and all eight persons on the skiff raised their arms awaiting the boarding team of HMAS TOOWOOMBA. During the boarding all piracy related paraphernalia were seized and destroyed. The helicopter of FGS BREMEN continued to secure the area from the air.

This is just one example of the excellent coordination and cooperation between the Counter Piracy Task Forces active in the Gulf of Aden. The use of the common communication system MERCURY proved its utility again.

FGS BREMEN takes part in the EU NAVFOR 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.

The EU NAVFOR Norwegian warship HNOMS Fridtjof Nansen in close cooperation with CTF 151

An EU NAVFOR ship and helicopter, in cooperation with a South Korean navy helicopter  from CTF 151 responded to an emergency call from MV SOUTHERN CROSS. The attack was successfully thwarted by the SOUTHERN CROSS herself. The EU NAVFOR Norwegian warship HNOMS FRIDTJOF NANSEN subsequently boarded a suspect skiff in the vicinity.

In the late morning of 26 August the EU NAVFOR Norwegian warship HNOMS FRIDTJOF NANSEN received an emergency call form the Italian M/V SOUTHERN CROSS that she was under attack from pirates. The SOUTHERN CROSS was transiting the Gulf of Aden, some 80 nautical miles south of Al Mukkala.

HNOMS FRIDTJOF NANSEN and the helicopter of the South Korean warship DAEJOYOUNG from CTF 151 responded directly to the situation. While the FRIDTJOF NANSEN and the helicopter were approaching, the skiff with five people on board broke off the attack after having fired several shots to the pilot house of SOUTHERN CROSS and escaped to the south.

The EU NAVFOR German warship FGS BREMEN also launched her helicopter to join the search for the pirate skiff. In the afternoon FGS Bremen’s helicopter detected a suspicious skiff. HNOMS FRIDTJOF NANSEN launched her fast rhibs with her boarding team and conducted a boarding. Weapons were seen thrown overboard. The skiff was released at dusk.

EU NAVFOR frigate BREMEN

The European Union Naval Force frigate BREMEN, together with a Greek Navy ship, NAVARINON, under NATO command successfully prevented a pirate attack on a Turkish merchant ship early morning of the 14 August.

The incident occurred in the International Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) in the Gulf of Aden. Six pirates in a skiff were reported to approach the Turkish cargo ship MV ELGIZNUR CEBI.

The pirates were forced to break off their attack by a helicopter from the EU NAVFOR frigate BREMEN after warning shots were fired.

Boarding was subsequently conducted by the boarding team of the Greek frigate NAVARINON, once it had arrived at the scene of the incident.