EU Naval Force Counter-Piracy Newsletter February

Mar. 01, 2013 EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia

EU Naval Force And NATO Reaffirm Their Commitment To Work Together To Fight Piracy On 24 February 2013, whilst on counter piracy patrols in the International Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) the Force Commander of EU NAVFOR, Rear Admiral Pedro García de Paredes, met with the Commander of the NATO counter-piracy Operation Ocean Shield, Rear Admiral Antonio Natale.

Nine Suspected Pirates Transferred To Seychelles By Dutch EU Naval Force Frigate De Ruyter On Monday 25 February Dutch EU Naval Force frigate HNLMS De Ruyter transferred nine suspected pirates to the Seychelles authorities for prosecution.  The transfers happened after HNLMS De Ruyter, who was conducting counter piracy patrols, stopped two skiffs on 19 February 120 nautical miles off the Somali Coast and apprehended nine suspected pirates on board.

Luxembourg Maritime Patrol And Reconnaissance Aircraft Return To EU Naval Force At the end of February the Luxembourg Maritime patrol and Reconnaissance (MPRA) Detachment returned to the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia Operation Atalanta counter piracy mission, having taken over MPRA duties from the Swedish Coast Guard MPRA unit operating from the Seychelles.

EU Naval Force Welcomes French Frigate FS Courbet To Operation Atalanta After navigating the Suez Canal and Bab-el-Mandeb strait, French frigate FS Courbet has joined EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia – Operation Atalanta. The French frigate replaces the FS Surcouf, who has been operating within the EU counter-piracy operation since last December. On Monday 18 February 2013, the French frigate FS Courbet met her sister ship, FS Surcouf, in Djibouti in order to take her place within EU NAVFOR. On 3 February, FS Courbet departed from her home base in Toulon, France, with a Panther helicopter from the French Naval Aviation 36F Flottille and a Vessel Protection Detachment (VPD) from Estonia on board. She is now proud to be fully integrated in Operation Atalanta.

Swedish Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRA) Complete A Successful Four Month Contribution To EU Naval Force The Swedish Coast Guard MPRA aircraft left the Seychelles on 15 February 2013 after a productive four month deployment to the Seychelles as part of EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia – Operation Atalanta.

Dutch EU Naval Force Frigate De Ruyter Apprehends Nine Suspected Pirates (update) On 19 February HNLMS De Ruyter stopped the activities of a group of suspected pirates approximately 200 nautical miles north east of Eyl off the coast of Somalia.  Nine suspected pirates were apprehended and taken on board the De Ruyter for further investigations.

Dutch EU Naval Force Frigate HNLMS De Ruyter Apprehends Nine Suspected Pirates On 19 February, HNLMS De Ruyter, has stopped the activities of a group of suspected pirates approximately 120 nautical miles east of Eyl off the coast of Somalia. Nine suspected pirates were apprehended and taken on board of the De Ruyter.

EU NAVFOR And The Seychelles To Continue Co-operating Against Piracy In The Region On 12 February 2013, during a port visit by the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia – Operation Atalanta flagship ESPS Méndez Núnez to Port Victoria in the Seychelles, the EUNAVFOR Force Commander, Rear Admiral Pedro García de Paredes, met the Chief of Defence of the Seychelles People’s Defence Forces, Brigadier Leopold Payet, and the Chief of the Seychelles Coast Guard, Lieutenant Colonel Georges Adeline.

Belgian Warship BNS Louise-Marie Sails For Home After Completing Counter Piracy Mission With EU Naval Force – Operation Atalanta Belgian frigate BNS Louise-Marie is on her way home after completing three months of counter piracy patrols with the European Union’s counter piracy mission – EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) – Operation Atalanta.  BNS Louise-Marie joined EU NAVFOR, which fights piracy off the coast of Somalia, on 23 November 2012.

Rear Admiral Pedro García de Paredes Welcomes EU Naval Force Operation Commander, EU Ambassadors And Tanzanian Maritime Chiefs On Board EU Counter Piracy Flagship ESPS Méndez Núnez

On 29 January 2013, during a port visit to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, Rear Admiral Pedro García de Paredes, the Force Commander of the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR), welcomed Rear Admiral Bob Tarrant on board his flagship ESPS Méndez Núnez.  This is the first meeting between both admirals since Rear Admiral Tarrant took command of Operation Atalanta on 16 January.