Earlier this week the EU NAVFOR flagship ESPS Navarra has conducted a passing exercise (PASSEX) in the Gulf of Aden with the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) destroyer Samidare.  Rear Admiral Ricardo Hernandez, the EU NAVFOR Force Commander, met with Captain (JPN Navy) Takahiro Nishiyama on board JMSDFS Samidare to discuss ongoing operations and to share information the security situation at sea.

JMSDFS Samidare is operating within the Combined Maritime Forces counter-piracy task force 151 (CTF151) which is a key partner for Operation Atalanta. This kind of exercise emphasizes the importance for EU NAVFOR of cooperation and coordination with partners in the area.

The Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force is celebrating 10 years of counter-piracy operations. They have protected more than 4.000 vessels passing through the Gulf of Aden and contributed significantly to the free flow of commerce.