EU NAVFOR welcomes the Royal Navy Frigate HMS RICHMOND

Jan 31, 2011 - 12:11
The Royal Navy’s Type 23 Duke Class Frigate HMS RICHMOND has joined EUNAVFOR.

Commanded by the Captain Mike Walliker, the ship and its crew are fully prepared and trained to take an active part within EUNAVFOR and in all anti piracy operations. HMS RICHMOND takes part for the first time in Operation ATALANTA and is equipped with extensive self defence and disposes of a Merlin MK1 helicopter. The warship is also equipped with a medical role 1 facility.

As a flexible warship, HMS RICHMOND 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.

She holds 209 crew members, including 24 officers. She has been commissioned for service in the British Navy since 1995. HMS RICHMOND’s displacement is 3,500 tons and she has a length of 133 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.

Categories