EU Naval Force - Somalia
Operation ATALANTA

Commanded by Commander Abry, the ship and its crew are fully prepared and trained to take an active part within ATALANTA and in all anti piracy operations. NIEDERSACHSEN is equipped with extensive self defence and has 2 Sea Lynx MK-88 helicopters at its disposal. 

As a flexible warship, NIEDERSACHSEN is perfectly adapted to counter-piracy missions and will improve the capability of EUNAVFOR to protect vulnerable vessels, especially those of the World Food Programme, to deter and prevent acts of piracy, and to contribute to monitoring fishing activities off the coast of Somalia.

F-208 NIEDERSACHSEN holds 215 crew members, including 14 officers. She has been commissioned for service in the German Navy since 1982; the displacement is 3.680 tons and she has a length of 130 meters.

EUNAVFOR Somalia – Operation ATALANTA’s main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid of the World Food Program (WFP) and vessels of African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). EUNAVFOR also protects vulnerable vessels in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, deters and disrupts piracy. EUNAVFOR finally monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.