European Union Military Committee delegation visits EU NAVFOR and NATO headquarters in Northwood

On Thursday 30 September, EU NAVFOR and NATO welcomed a delegation from the European Union Military Committee (EUMC) in Northwood’s headquarters (United Kingdom).

The aim of this visit was to give the delegation an update on the piracy threat in the Horn of Africa and to discuss the possible mechanisms to improve the actions of Task Force 465.

“To begin with, I would like to say that I am grateful, to the Operation Commander General Buster Howes for his courteous invitation, and to the Belgian Presidency for its contribution to the visit”, comments General Håkan SYRÉN, chairman of the EUMC.

“I have to say, that today, we, not only the EU but also NATO Military Representatives and other officials from both organisations, had a very necessary and fruitful meeting concerning military cooperation and coordination off the coasts of Somalia. We received fresh information and we exchanged views, under a common way of thinking and acting.

I am therefore convinced that by continuing our efforts and sailing together in the Gulf of Aden, we will improve the security environment and reduce the threat of piracy thus maintaining freedom of those sea lines of communication, which are of global significance.”

This meeting was an opportunity for both EU and NATO to identify future challenges for these Task Forces, at both operational and strategic levels.

Northwood's Deputy Commander, Japanese Vice Defence Minister, and EU NAVFOR Operation Commander

The Japanese Vice Defence Minister, M. Daizo Kusuda, visited Northwood on 2 September as part of the European tour he is conducting.

This provided an opportunity to discuss counter piracy operations with EU NAVFOR and NATO.

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

EU NAVFOR Operation Commander (left) and EU NAVFOR former Force Commander (right)

As part of the Lessons Learned process, and the ongoing work in trying to improve the fight against piracy, former Force Commander, Admiral Jan Thörnqivist, briefed the Operation Headquarter in Northwood about his experiences.

EU NAVFOR has in this four month period disrupted more than 20 Pirate Action Groups and confiscated a vast amount of pirate paraphernalia – stopping more than 250 suspected pirates from conducting attacks. It has also conducted 11 World Food Programme escorts which have delivered 90,000 metric tons of food aid.

Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope KCB OBE ADC, the First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy and Captain Paul Chivers OBE, the Headquarter’s Chief of Staff

Today, Thursday 4 March 2010, Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope KCB OBE ADC, the First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy visited the Headquarters of the EU Naval Force Somalia – Operation Atalanta.

This informal visit was the first time that the First Sea Lord had visited the purpose built Headquarters from where the EU Operation Atalanta is run. The Admiral was extremely impressed with the facilities and was pleased to see the EU multinational HQ in full operation. Admiral Stanhope stated that “this is a very important multinational operation for the UK to be part of and stands alongside the contributions that the Royal Navy is making to the other anti piracy forces in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean”.

EU NAVFOR was established in late 2008 after the problem of piracy in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean escalated out of control. The EU Council, under French presidency decided to take action.  Consequently, in October that year, the Commander UK Maritime Forces (COMUKMARFOR) was selected to lead the EU’s first maritime mission under European Security and Defence Policy and the United Kingdom offered their Operational Headquarters in Northwood, near London.  Rear Admiral Peter Hudson CBE is the current Operational Commander.  Captain Paul Chivers OBE, who accompanied Admiral Stanhope, is the Headquarter’s Chief of Staff.
The Royal Navy has fully engaged with both EU NAVFOR and other international efforts, including NATO and Coalition Maritime Forces, to counter Somali based piracy in the GOA and the Indian Ocean.

EU NAVFOR Somalia – Operation ATALANTA’s main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid of the ‘World Food Program’ (WFP) and vessels of AMISOM, and to protect vulnerable ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean and to deter and disrupt piracy. EU NAVFOR also monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.

RAdm Peter Hudson and General Hakan Syren

On the afternoon 18 January, General Hakan Syren, the chairman of the European Union Military Committee (EUMC) visited EU NAVFOR’s Headquarters in Northwood, near London.

The General was received by Rear Admiral Peter Hudson, Operational Commander of EU NAVFOR Somalia – Operation Atalanta. His visit included a presentation on the operation and EU NAVFOR’s part in the fight against piracy, and also a visit to the Joint Operations Centre which includes the Maritime Security Centre Horn of Africa (MSCHOA). He had discussions with several of the international staff who works in the OHQ who are appointed from many EU Member states. General Syren also visited the site of the newly built OHQ due to be opened in early February.

The General was impressed with the progress of Operation Atalanta and stated: “I very much enjoyed my tour of EU NAVFOR’s Operational Headquarters and was extremely impressed with the professionalism and cooperation of so many participating EU Member States military personnel, as well as the close working relationship with representatives of the civilian maritime organisations. Operation Atalanta has achieved a great deal in its first year and there is every indication from what I have seen that the second year will be as successful if not more so”

Rear Admiral Thorsten Kaehler, Rear Admiral Peter Hudson and Rear Admiral Bartolomé Bauzá

Today, 11 Dec 2009, Rear Admiral Thorsten Kaehler (German Navy) handed over the responsibility of Deputy Operation Commander of the European Union Naval Force Somalia Operation ATALANTA, the EU anti-piracy campaign in the Horn of Africa area, to Rear Admiral Bartolomé Bauzá (Spanish navy). The handover was conducted in the Operational Headquarters in Northwood near London.

Rear Admiral Thorsten Kaehler who joined the operation in June 2009, has been instrumental in overseeing the continued success of EU NAVFOR. He will now return to Germany as Commander of Flotilla 2.

Rear Admiral Bartolomé Bauzá, prior to his new task, had assignments in Joint HQ, Fleet HQ, and Navy HQ (his last tour as DACOS Plans & Policy and Head of the Strategic Planning Branch). He has also served in surface ships, including serving two-year-tours as EW and Ops officer in the corvette “Infanta Elena”, destroyer “Gravina” and the frigates “Andalucía” and “Cataluña”.

Rear Admiral Thorsten Kaehler presents a Crest of EU NAVFOR to Somali Minister of Defence, Mr. Abdulla Boss Ahmed

On 18 November, Mr. Abdulla Boss Ahmed, Minister of Defence of the transitional federal government of Somalia, visited the European operational headquarters in Northwood in order to gain a better understanding of what the EU NAVFOR was achieving in its operations against piracy in the Gulf of Aden and Somali Basin.

He was hosted by the Operation Deputy Commander, Rear Admiral Kaehler and was given a presentation on the Operation and it’s achievements since inception in December 2008.

He encouraged EU and the Transitional Federal Government to work closely together to tackle the piracy issue off the coast of Somalia. He said “This was my first visit to the UK and I have made many contacts. I am very pleased to visit the EU NAVFOR HQ and see the success of Operation Atalanta. I see the first seeds of success in stabilisation and look forward to the blossoming of a free Somalia”

Fishing vessels are always at a higher risk of piracy than other ships on the high seas. For this reason, EU NAVFOR has been working closely with the fishing fleets in the region, which are operating outside any territorial waters or Exclusive Economic Zones.

Regular flights by maritime patrol aircraft are conducted, and a number of warships are assigned to patrol the fishing grounds, protecting and reassuring the fishermen. Specialist advisors from the tuna fishing industry are stationed at Northwood to work alongside the military commanders of the operation. At the time of this attack, the EU NAVFOR Spanish warship CANARIAS was in company with a number of tuna fishing vessels.

EU NAVFOR is working very closely with the Spanish authorities, other military forces in the region and the fishing industry to provide assistance in this case and provide continued protection to all legitimate fishermen and seafarers in this vast stretch of troubled waters.

EU NAVFOR ship BRANDENBURG leads HANSA STAVANGER safely into Mombasa

Mombasa 09 August 2009

After 4 months in the hands of pirates, HANSA STAVANGER slipped quietly into the port of Mombasa under the watchful eye of the EU NAVFOR ship FGS BRANDENBURG. For the 236 EU NAVFOR soldiers of BRANDENBURG, the task of escorting the trading vessel into port is now complete.

On 3 August 2009 at 17.40 the German container ship was released after 120 days captivity from Somali pirates. On release, the EU NAVFOR ships RHEINLAND-PFALZ and BRANDENBURG arrived at the scene of the container ship’s release, in order to ensure its security and safe passage to Mombasa. EU NAVFOR soldiers went on board immediately, bringing food, water and clothes and a doctor attended to carry out medical examination of the HS crew.  25 helicopter flights were sent to provide supplies for the HANSA STAVANGER.

The general conditions for the crew, after the release by the pirates, were appalling and large areas had to be disinfected and made habitable once more. The pirates robbed the crew of many items of every day use such as clothes, clocks or even toothbrushes. Much kindness was shown by the crew of the EU NAVFOR ship BRANDENBURG who replaced the day to day items that had been stolen. Also simple nautical equipment such as binoculars and radios were made available to the HS, in order to ensure the safe onward voyage to Mombasa.

A substantial component of the assistance provided was medical and dental treatment and this was provided over the next few days on route to Mombasa. In a show of appreciation, the HANSA STAVANGER set the BRANDENBURG flag on her top front mast on arrival in Mombasa.

An EU NAVFOR press conference was carried out in the port of the Mombasa on the ships’ arrival for a large number of journalists. Over sixty representatives from the international media were provided with the latest information about the release of the HANSA STAVANGER and her support from, EU NAVFOR Atalanta. A representative of European Union headquarters in Northwood Lieutenant Commander Peter Benn RN attended with the Commanding Officer of EU NAVFOR ship BRANDENBURG, Torsten Ites.

Since 29 June the FGS BRANDENBURG has been under the command of the first European Union Naval Force mission Atalanta. On Monday she will sail from Mombasa, in order to return to her EU NAVFOR duties.

Deployment of HNLMS EVERTSEN

On Sunday 2 Aug 09, the EU NAVFOR  Dutch ship HNLMS EVERTSEN under the Command of Commander Cees Vooijs sailed from Den Helder to join the EU Naval Force operating off the Somali coast in its Anti Piracy mission. Onboard the ship is Commodore Peter Bindt who will take over the role of Force Commander from the EU NAVFOR Spanish ship NUMANCIA in the middle of August in the Gulf of Aden.

Admiral Peter Hudson, the Operational Commander of EU NAVFOR based in the Headquarters in Northwood was in Den Helder to say farewell to the latest member of his force to join the Anti Piracy mission. Admiral Hudson discussed the forthcoming mission with both Commodore Bindt and Commander Voojis and said how important it was for European Member States to contribute fully to this hugely important international task which the EU is acknowledged as leading.

Admiral Hudson, in talking to the members of the Press stated that “Piracy was continuing and would continue until a political solution was found in Somalia”. He was pleased that the EU force is leading the way in this international task and that the actions of EU NAVFOR ships was having a direct effect on the reducing success rates of pirates’ attacks. “before the EU NAVFOR ships were engaged, the pirates were successful in hijacking a vessel in  about one in three attacks”.

Since EU NAVFOR has been involved we have reduced that success rate to about one in eight or nine”. Admiral Hudson also met the Director of Operations for the Dutch Chief Defence Staff General Oosterndorp who was pleased that the Dutch were about to play such a prominent role in an extremely important operation.

HNLMS EVERTSEN will proceed to the Gulf of Aden and relieve the present Force Commander Captain Garat Carame onboard the EU NAVFOR Spanish warship NUMANCIA who has been controlling operations in the area for the last four months. The ships will meet in the Gulf of Aden in the middle of August and formally hand over command of the EU NAVFOR.