EU Naval Force - Somalia
Operation ATALANTA

EU NAVFOR has continued activities designed to disrupt and destroy Pirate Action Groups (PAGs) with combined sea and air operations in the Somali Basin.

On 4 April, the Swedish Maritime Patrol Aircraft located two suspect ships 270 nautical miles east of Mogadishu, composed of one mother ship and one attack skiff.

EUNAVFOR French warship FS NIVÔSE was vectored onto these craft and intercepted the suspected pirate vessels. NIVÔSE launched its helicopter and additionally sent a boarding party which subsequently apprehended 7 suspect pirates and found small arms, an RPG and ladders. This is the fourth such successful interception by NIVÔSE since joining the EU NAVFOR operation.

EU NAVFOR Somalia – Operation ATALANTA’s main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid of the ‘World Food Program’ (WFP) and vessels of AMISOM, and to protect vulnerable ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean and to deter and disrupt piracy. EU NAVFOR also monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.