World Food Programme (WFP) shipping brings much needed and vital food aid to the region, keeping this safe keeps people alive. EU NAVFOR’s Autonomous Vessel Protection Detachment, based on board WFP ship Petra II, ensures the secure delivery of essential food and medical supplies to the people of Somalia by providing close protection.

The highly trained and specialized Montenegrin detachment have completed their successful deployment and handed over to a Croatian detachment on the 31^st August 2018, at a ceremony in Djibouti. Here they received the EU CSDP medal recognising their invaluable contribution to the operation.

The AVPD rotates every four months and provides 24/7 protection; their training and preparation for this task can take up to six months. To maintain their skills whilst on board they conduct exercises and drills which are crucial in securing the safety of WFP ship and those on board. There is a mandatory selection process for the candidates, consisting of medicals, marksmanship, and rigorous physical fitness examinations.

The use of AVPDs to protect WFP shipping is paramount for EU NAVFOR as it allows greater flexibility in the use of the warships in the fight against piracy, whilst guaranteeing the security of WFP shipments.