Tag: EUNAVFOR

On 16 of November, EU NAVFOR Italian Warship Federico Martinengo visited the Port of Mombasa, in Kenya. There the ship's crew carried out the second combined exercise together with Kenyan Navy counterparts. During the exercise, EU NAVFOR’s crew showed techniques to the Kenyan Navy in firefighting, first aid and anti-flooding procedures.

MV Petra I was transiting Somali territorial waters when she met with EU NAVFOR’s forces. EU NAVFOR Operation Atalanta has its core business to support World Food Programme vessels and it is its main goal to ensure their safety on their humanitarian mission.

In the morning hours of Sunday 28 October, EU NAVFOR military personnel seized an active Pirate Action Group (PAG) whaler and destroyed it. This followed a sustained period of surveillance after a piracy attack was conducted against the Hong Kong-flagged bulk carrier 'KSL Sydney'. The attack against the KSL Sydney took place on 16 October, 340 nm off the coast of Somalia.

On 16 October, the Hong Kong-flagged bulk carrier 'KSL Sydney' was attacked 340 nm off the coast of Somalia in the Somali Basin, according to data provided by EU NAVFOR. Due to the application of BMP protection measures by the Master, his crew and the private security team, the piracy attack was thwarted and the crew and vessel remained safe.

Following the European Council's decision on 30 July to extent the mandate of EU NAVFOR Somalia Operation Atalanta until 31 December 2020, the European shipowners welcomed the move, noting that the operation has brought a significant decline in piracy numbers in the East African region. 

The European Council extended the mandate of EU NAVFOR Somalia Operation Atalanta until 31 December 2020. It also decided to relocate the EU NAVFOR Operational Headquarters from Northwood, UK to Rota, Spain, and to Brest France for the Maritime Security Centre Horn of Africa MSCHOA as of 29 March 2019.

Charlie Stickland, the Operational Commander Major General of EU NAVFOR, met with Mr. Kitack Lim, Secretary-General of the IMO, on 11 May at IMO Headquarters in London. At the meeting, general Stickland updated the IMO Secretary-General on EU NAVFOR’s counter-piracy Operation Atalanta.

EUNAVFOR informed that the oil tanker that was attacked on March 3, off Hodeidah, Yemen, is the Merchant Tanker "Abqaiq", a Kingdom of Saudi Arabia flagged vessel. Combined Maritime Forces and EUNAVFOR confirmed that the incident is related to the ongoing conflict in Yemen. The tanker was sailing in international waters off Hodeidah.

EUNAVFOR informed that on 23rd February, the Motor Tanker Leopard Sun was attacked by two skiffs 160 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia. The Singapore flagged chemical tanker was heading from Sohar, to Cape Town, South Africa when the incident happened.

The Seychellois Attorney General informed on 18 December, that the 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.