Vice Admiral “Bill” Gortney, Commander US Naval Forces Central Command visited the European Union Naval Force Operation Headquarters today, 16 July 2009. VAdm Gortney was met by RAdm Peter Hudson Operational Commander of EU NAVFOR who provided briefings on the OHQ and the tasks conducted by the anti piracy EU Task Force operating off the Horn of Africa and the coast of Somalia in particular.
During the briefings it was explained that in accordance with Resolutions 1814 (2008), 1816 (2008) and 1838 (2008) of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the EU is conducting a military operation to contribute to the deterence and repression of acts and armed robbery off the Somali coast.
The EU NAVFOR aims are to contribute to:
- The protection of vessels of the World Food Programme (WFP) delivering food aid to displaced persons in Somalia.
- The protection of vulnerable vessels sailing through the Gulf of Aden and off the Somali coast and the deterrence, prevention and repression of acts of piracy and armed robbery off the Soamali coast.
The EU Member States that have committed warships and aircraft to the EU NAVFOR so far are: Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the UK. Norway will join in august 2009 and many other Member States are contributing by sending staff to the OHQ to support the operation.
Adm Gortney is in command of Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). This comprises Naval assets from more than 20 nations, which was established at the outset of Operation Enduring Freedom. Combined Task Force 150 (CTF 150) was formed for the conduct of Maritime Security Operations in the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Oman, the Arabian Sea, Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. CMF has now established Combined Task Force 151 (CTF-151) specifically for counter-piracy operations.
EU NAVFOR and CTF 151 have already forged close links at sea and are part of a wider “coalition of the willing” to counter seaborne criminality. Both organisations are represented at the Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE) meetings in the Gulf region which includes Navies from the EU, NATO, Russia, China, Japan and India.
On leaving the EU NAVFOR OHQ Adm Gortney stated that EU NAVFOR and CMF were working extremely well together to bring pirates to justice. “Considering there is no direct chain of Command between us, there is an unprecedented level of cooperation and coordination at every level”, stated Adm Gortney.