EU Naval Force - Somalia
Operation ATALANTA

On 14 September, EU NAVFOR Force Commander Rear-Admiral Philippe Coindreau visited another ship of Task Force 465: German tanker FGS RHOEN.

EU NAVFOR Flagship DE GRASSE and FGS RHOEN had worked together previously in performing fuel replenishment at sea. An opportunity was taken for Force Commander to be winched on board FGS RHOEN by the FS DE GRASSE Lynx helicopter.

Having visited the ship and met the crew, Rear-Admiral Coindreau highlighted again the value of tankers for EU NAVFOR warships and for the others forces operating in the region. “Our operational area in the Somali Basin may be compared in size to the United States, distances to cover are significant. Tankers are therefore valuable asset, enabling warships to last longer at sea”.

Two tankers are currently integrated in Task Force 465: FGS RHOEN and HNLMS AMSTERDAM.