FS Surcouf

On 9th of August the French frigate F711 FS SURCOUF joined the EU NAVFOR Task Force.

She is commanded by Captain Marc-Antoine de Saint Germain, and after intense training her crew is fully prepared to undertake their duties as a Task Force 465 unit.

FS SURCOUF is a modern multi-purpose frigate fitted with an AS 565 PANTHER helicopter and capable of accomplishing a wide series of missions.

Her contribution constitutes a significant effort to enhance the effectiveness of TF 465 in all its tasks and will increase EU NAVFOR’s skills to protect vulnerable shipping, in particular World Food Program (WFP) and African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) vessels, as well as to deter and prevent acts of piracy, and to contribute to the monitoring of fishing activities off the coast of Somalia.

Commissioned to the French Navy in 2000, FS SURCOUF has a displacement of 3200 tons, is 124.3 meters long and has 168 crew members onboard.

EUNAVFOR Somalia – Operation ATALANTA’s main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid of the World Food Programme (WFP) and vessels of African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). EUNAVFOR also protects vulnerable vessels in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, deters and disrupts piracy. EUNAVFOR finally monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.

FS Surcouf escorts MV SEA DIAMOND

On the 4th of February EU NAVFOR Warship FS SURCOUF arrived from Mombasa in front of Mogadishu with Two World Food Program vessels M/V ABDUL RAHMAN and M/V SEA DIAMOND.

On their arrival, they dropped their anchor in vicinity of the port and EU NAVFOR Warship FS SURCOUF assured protection of the vessels until the arrival of an AMISOM security team that took over the responsibility of the merchant vessels after which the SURCOUF headed to Mombassa, her next port of call.

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

Picture Gallery:

Pakistani fisherman arrives on board ITS ETNA

In early December a Pakistani fishing vessel was hijacked by pirates not far from the territorial waters of Oman and, during the attack, one of the fishermen was shot in the leg just below the knee.

As a consequence, the crew was kept as hostages, including the wounded Pakistani fisherman, who was left for about a month without any treatment of the wound or stabilisation of his leg. The captured fishing vessel was later used by the pirates as a mother-ship from where they launched piratical attacks in the area using smaller skiffs they had loaded on board. After one such successful attack, the pirates abandoned the fishing vessel and the crew were rescued by the EU NAVFOR Warship FS SURCOUF that was patrolling in the area.

The wounded fisherman received immediate first aid medical treatment and was then transferred to EU NAVFOR Flagship ITS ETNA who has a Role 2 Medical facility and surgical team onboard. Onboard ETNA he was examined and received some extended wound-treatment including initial surgery. ETNA subsequently transferred their patient to the French Military Hospital “Bouffard” in Djibouti, where some final surgical treatment was carried out.

After nearly a month in the care of EU NAVFOR and the French Military Hospital, the man was cleared fit to fly home. Before leaving he expressed his sincere gratitude for all the assistance that he received onboard EU NAVFOR ships SURCOUF and ETNA and also at the Military Hospital. He arrived in Pakistan on 26th January.

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

Picture Gallery:

MV ALPHA KIRAWIRA escorted by FS SURCOUF

On the 20th of January, EUNAVFOR Warship FS SURCOUF  successfully completed the escort of AMISOM chartered cargo vessel ALPHA KIRAWIRA, Sierra Leone flagged, from MOGADISHU to MOMBASA.

FS SURCOUF met MV ALPHA KIRAWIRA at sea on the 17th of January, off the coast of Mogadishu. The MV on leaving the port sailed south along the coast under the close protection of the EUNAVFOR ship. The three day journey passed without incident but SURCOUF crewmembers remained vigilant and ready to face any possible threat during the transit.

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

Picture Gallery: