Lithuanian Troops on Duty Protecting World Food Programme Vessels

Dec 18, 2017 - 11:22
Operation Atalanta’s latest Maritime Ship Protection Team from Lithuania has arrived in Djibouti to take over the protection of World Food Programme (WFP) vessel, MV Esbjerg, from the team from Serbia.

The highly trained Lithuanian team was welcomed to the EU’s counter-piracy operation by the Support Element Atalanta Officer-in-Command, Commander Bertrand Senacq (French Navy). After embarking MV Esbjerg the team will provide round-the-clock protection to the ship as it transports vital WFP food aid to Somalia.

Lithuania, Montenegro, Croatia and Serbia have all provided teams to Operation Atalanta in 2017 as part of their contribution to the EU Naval Force’s fight against piracy off the coast of Somalia. The team is also known as an Autonomous Vessels Protection Detachment (AVPD). Operation Atalanta is a multinational naval force that has helped to strengthen maritime security in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean since 2008.

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