Over the weekend, Operation Atalanta’s German Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRA) over flew Dutch flagship, HNLMS Tromp, at sea in the Gulf of Aden.
The purpose of the over flight was to enable the German aircrew to airdrop vital supplies into the sea close to HNLMS Tromp.
Airdrops out at sea do not need to happen too often as warships normally embark their much-needed equipment when they are alongside in port, so when the German Navy P-3 aircraft received the request from HNLMS Tromp, they knew that their delivery mission was important.
Having been carefully placed inside a waterproof container, the floating supplies were picked up from the sea by sailors onboard one of the warship’s boats.
HNLMS Tromp is on patrol in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden, working to deter and disrupt piracy off the Somali coastline. She works closely with Spanish and German MPRA Detachments who provide valuable aerial imagery of the area of operations.
The purpose of the over flight was to enable the German aircrew to airdrop vital supplies into the sea close to HNLMS Tromp.
Airdrops out at sea do not need to happen too often as warships normally embark their much-needed equipment when they are alongside in port, so when the German Navy P-3 aircraft received the request from HNLMS Tromp, they knew that their delivery mission was important.
Having been carefully placed inside a waterproof container, the floating supplies were picked up from the sea by sailors onboard one of the warship’s boats.
HNLMS Tromp is on patrol in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden, working to deter and disrupt piracy off the Somali coastline. She works closely with Spanish and German MPRA Detachments who provide valuable aerial imagery of the area of operations.