December 2017

On the 23rd December, EU NAVFOR’s Spanish Warship ESPS Patiño met up with CTF151 Pakistan Warship (PNS) Tippu Sultan, to continue counter-piracy operations at sea off the Somali Coast.

Major General Charlie Stickland, EU NAVFOR Operation Commander recently visited His Excellency (H.E) Adam Kulach, Head of the EU Delegation to the Republic of Djibouti and H.E Mahmoud Ali Youssuf, Djiboutian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Djibouti.

During his visit to Djibouti earlier this month, Major General Charlie Stickland, Operation Commander of EU NAVFOR, took time out to visit the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Forces (JMSDF) deployed in maritime counter-piracy missions.

The Spanish Maritime Patrol Reconnaissance Aircrafts (MPRA) in Djibouti, reached this major milestone shortly after 9 years of continual support to EU NAVFOR.

Earlier this month, Operation Commander Major General Charlie Stickland and Deputy Commander Rear Admiral Alfonso Nanclares of EU NAVFOR, met with deployed troops in Djibouti underlining the commitment command has to its deployed personnel.

The Seychellois Attorney General announced on 18 December that six Somali nationals apprehended by the crew of EU NAVFOR flagship ITS Virginio Fasan have been charged with ‘committing an act of piracy’ and ‘attempting an act of piracy’ in the Indian Ocean.

Operation Atalanta’s latest Maritime Ship Protection Team from Lithuania has arrived in Djibouti to take over the protection of World Food Programme (WFP) vessel, MV Esbjerg, from the team from Serbia.

German and Japanese Navy Maritime Patrol Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRA) rendezvoused in the skies above the Gulf of Aden combining their proven capabilities.

Rear Admiral Nanclares has completed a visit to Dar es Salaam for Spanish Warship ESPS Patiño’s first port visit.

Having recently joined EU NAVFOR Spanish Warship, ESPS Patiño, conducted an inaugural port visit to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.

Friday 8th December 2017 marks the ninth anniversary of EU Naval Force Somalia’s Operation Atalanta, the successful EU Naval Force counter- piracy operation in the Gulf of Aden and the Somali Basin.

On Wednesday 6th December 2017, EU NAVFOR’s Operation Commander, Major General Charlie Stickland congratulated Force Commander Rear Admiral Fabio Gregori on the completion of another Italian led mission.

The Korean warship, ROKS Chungmugong, has recently deployed off the coast of Somalia as part of EU NAVFOR.  This cooperation between the Republic of Korea and European Union warships is helping to strengthen maritime security and keep seafarers safe as they transit the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden.

On 30th November the Force Commander of EU NAVFOR, Rear Admiral Fabio Gregori, hosted onboard the Italian warship ITS Fasan, a delegation from the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) Navy Escort Task Group 171 led by Senior Captain Huang Fengzhi.