April 2011

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On the morning of the 20th April the helicopter from the German frigate NIEDERSACHSEN discovered a Yemeni Dhow with complete engine failure. It was adrift 54 nautical miles (100km) South East of the Yemeni coast.

 During her port visit to Mombasa on the 11th April, EU NAVFOR warship FS GUEPRATTE welcomed a Kenyan delegation on board.

Early morning on 21 April, the Bulk Carrier MV ROSALIA D’AMATO was pirated approximately 350NM South East of Salalah, Oman, in the Indian Ocean.

On 21 April, EU NAVFOR released 18 suspected pirates that had been detained by the EU NAVFOR Finnish warship FNS POHJANMAA since the 6 April. 

Today, 14 April, in a ceremony held at the Commercial Port of Djibouti, Portuguese Commodore Alberto Correia took over the command of Task Force 465 (TF 465) as the new European Union Naval Force Headquarters – Operation ATALANTA Force Commander.  Commodore Correia takes over the duty from h

The general cargo ship MV BELUGA NOMINATION was released from pirate control on 13 April 2011 after being held for 81 days.

On 14 April, the EU NAVFOR Deputy Operation Commander, Rear Admiral Guido Rando visited the EU NAVFOR Finnish warship FNS Pohjanmaa whilst she was alongside in Djibouti.

The general cargo ship MV THOR NEXUS was released from pirate control on 12 April 2011.  The Thai flagged and owned vessel was on her way to Bangladesh from Jebel Ali in the UAE when she was attacked in the Northern Indian Ocean on the 25 December 2010. 

On 9 April, the Royal Navy frigate HMS RICHMOND finished as an EU NAVFOR warship after 75 days proudly flying the European Flag.

On the afternoon of 9 April, the EU NAVFOR Finnish warship FNS POHJANMAA destroyed a dhow-typed vessel used by a suspected Pirate Action Group (PAG) to prevent it being used in any future attacks.  FNS POHJANMAA disrupted the suspected PAG on Wednesday 6 April (link) and took the dhow in-tow pending

The Very Large Crude Carrier MV IRENE SL was released from pirate control on 7 April 2011.  The Greek flagged and owned vessel was pirated on the 9 February, approximately 350 nautical miles South East of Muscat in the North Arabian Sea.

In the early morning of 8 April, the General Cargo ship MV SUSAN K was pirated approximately 200 nautical miles North-East of Salalah, Oman; a location only 35 nautical miles from the Omani coastline.

During the early morning of 6 April, the EU NAVFOR Finnish warship FNS POHJANMAA identified a suspected Pirate Action Group (PAG) consisting of a dhow and 2 attack skiffs approximately 250 NM South East of Salalah, Oman.

 On the afternoon of 3 April 2011, the EU NAVFOR Spanish warship ESPS INFANTA ELENA, identified and boarded a suspected pirate whaler 89 Nautical miles South-East of Mombasa.

11 suspected pirates detained by the EUNAVFOR Spanish warship, ESPS CANARIAS on 28 March 2011 were today transferred to Seychellois legal authorities for possible prosecution.