Operation Atalanta’s Dutch Force Commander, Commodore Luyckx, recently spent time aboard the Japanese warship JDS Suzutsuki. He received a warm welcome aboard from Captain Minami, Commander of Combined Task Force (CTF) 151’s Escort Division 4 and the ship’s Commanding Officer, Commander Nakayama.
The warship is part of the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) and is sailing in the Gulf of Aden with Combined Task Force (CTF) 151. CTF151 focuses on the disruption of piracy and armed robbery in the maritime environment and is one of Operation Atalanta’s key counter-piracy partners in the waters off Somalia.
The Force Commander was pleased to visit the ship, meet her crew and see her capabilities first-hand before returning to the Force Headquarters aboard Flagship, HNLMS Tromp, and continuing with the operation to deter and disrupt Somali piracy.