February 2019

Today marks the 482nd anniversary of the founding of the Spanish Marine Corps, the Infantería de Marina. Marines on board EU NAVFOR’s warship ESPS Relampago held a short ceremony on the flight deck to mark the occasion.

During her port visit to the Seychelles, ESPS Relampago’s crew took the opportunity to carry out a range of maritime training exercises with the Seychelles Coastguard and Air Force at Port Victoria anchorage.

EU NAVFOR has supplied 50 First Aid kits to the AAMIN Ambulance Service, which was established to provide free ambulance services after it was observed that no functioning public ambulance services existed.

Meeting with members of the Somali community is important for EU NAVFOR. It is an opportunity for the Somali community to learn the relevance of counter-piracy operations to their country and themselves, but also an opportunity for them to ask questions directly to EU NAVFOR.

EU NAVFOR ship ESPS Relampago recently met the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force destroyer JDS Samidare in Djibouti. Whilst alongside the Commanding Officers met to discuss their ongoing operations in the Gulf of Aden.

EU NAVFOR personnel have hosted representatives of the Indian Navy aboard ESPS Relampago in Djibouti.

On 31 January, the EU NAVFOR Operational Commander, Major General Charles Stickland, hosted a High-Level Industry Strategy meeting at the Operation Headquarters in Northwood. This was attended by the leadership of  Shipping Industry Associations.

The Deputy Commander of EU NAVFOR ATALANTA, Rear Admiral Giuseppe Rapese, Italian Navy, has handed over his responsibilities after a successful six-month tour of duty to Rear Admiral Marc Aussedat of the French Navy on 31st January 2019.