Picture Gallery

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EU Naval Force Warship ESPS Meteoro ’s engineers after they gave assistance to a Yemeni dhow. On Thursday 5 September, Spanish warship ESPS Meteoro, which is part of the European Union’s counter piracy Naval Force operating off the Horn of Africa, gave assistance to a Yemeni dhow, which had suffered steerage difficulties, with a faulty rudder. A demonstration of the Landing Craft and seaboats of HNLMS Johan de Witt. During the demonstration the Executive Officer (XO) briefed the participants. Participant during theory lessons given by EUCAP Nestor instructors, in the conference room on board HNLMS Johan de Witt. The lecture stimulated constructive conversations among the participants. Participant during lessons given by EUCAP Nestor instructors, in the conference room on board HNLMS Johan de Witt. Some lessons were also given by the Navigation Officer and an Officer of the Watch of HNLMS Johan de Witt. Participants attended lessons and demonstrations on the Role 2 medical team on board EU Naval Force Flagship HNLMS Johan de Witt. Participants are receiving a briefing on the bridge of HNLMS Johan de Witt by the ships Navigation Officer. DSCThe Operation Commander listens intently to a Somali Minister, as they discuss how the EU and Somali Federal Government can work together to strengthen maritime security and Somali economic development. The Somali National Security Adviser, Abdirahman Sheikh Issa, talks to the European Union Naval Force Operation Commander, Rear Admiral Bob Tarrant, during talks between the EU and Somali Federal Government in Mogadishu last month. Sunday 8 September, following the evacuation, the German warship returned to her EUNAVFOR counter-piracy duties. German warship FGS Niedersachsen, closing the distance to Oman following the helicopter conducting a medical evacuation to Salalah, Oman. The embarked "Sea Lynx" board helicopter of FGS Niedersachsen, with the ship’s doctor and both patients on board, takes off to take the crew members to the hospital. Saturday 7 September, EUNAVFOR warship FGS Niedersachsen evacuated two of their crew members who needed special medical treatment to a hospital in Salalah, Oman. The Commander of the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia Operation Atalanta, Rear Admiral Bob Tarrant (right) and the Force Commander, Commodore Peter Lenselink (left). Group photo from left to right: Deputy commander EUTM Colonel Dimassi, EU NAVFOR Operational Rear Admiral Bob Tarrant, Somali National Security Advisor Abdiraham Skeikh Isse, Somali Chief of the Armed Forces General Dahir Aden Elmi, Minister of Defence of The President of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (centre), the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia Operation Atalanta Operation Commander, Rear Admiral Bob Tarrant (left) and the Force Commander Commodore Peter Lenselink (right) onboard the EU Naval Force F EU NAVFOR Force Commander Commodore Peter Lenselink briefs the distinguished guests onboard Flagship HNLMS Johan de Witt On 4 September 2013, off the coast of Mogadishu, the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Atalanta hosted the President of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, on board the EU NAVFOR Flagship, HNLMS Johan de Witt. The President of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia Operation Atalanta Operation Commander, Rear Admiral Bob Tarrant The President of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia Operation Atalanta Operation Commander, Rear Admiral Bob Tarrant on the bridge of the EU Naval Force Flagship, HNLMS Johan de Witt. During his visit, Commodore Lenselink was given a demonstration of the capabilities of the German Boarding Team. The EU Naval Force Force Commander was given a briefing on the capabilities of the Bremen Class frigate and the German Boarding Team carried out a helicopter fast-roping demonstration. During his visit, Commodore Lenselink visited the different departments on board and met members of the ship’s crew. On Friday 30 August, Commodore Peter Lenselink and members of his staff visited German frigate FGS Niedersachsen, which is currently part of the EU’s counter piracy task force off the coast of Somalia. The Force Commander, Commodore Lenselink and Commanding Officer of ITS Zeffiro, Commander Marco Antionazzi, speaking to one of ITS Zeffiro ships company. In the centre of the picture, Force Commander Commodore Peter Lenselink (right), the Commanding Officer of ITS Zeffiro, Commander Marco Antoniazzi (left) surrounded by members of their Staff. Team from ITS Zeffiro approaches a local vessel and has a conversation with the crew. UPDATE – Pirates Move Fishing Vessel Naham 3 To Somali Shoreline ESPS Meteoro conducted a Replenishment At Sea (RAS) with the FS Somme, a French Durance class command and replenishment ship. On ESPS Meteoro’s flight deck, fire fighters approach a helicopter during an emergency exercise. The ESPS Meteoro was built in Spain for the Spanish Navy as the first unit of a series of four modular Offshore Patrol Vessels (Meteoro class). Both Force Commanders agreed that close co-ordination between the two counter-piracy missions is critical to efforts to eradicate piracy off the coast of Somalia. The delegations from both Flagships, during the meeting on board the NATO Flagship HNoMS Fridtjof Nansen. The Force Commander of the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR), Commodore Peter Lenselink (right), met the Force Commander of NATO counter-piracy Operation Ocean Shield, Commodore Henning Amundsen (left), on board the NATO Flagship HNoMS Fridtjof Nansen. EU Naval Force Flagship HNLMS Johan de Witt's helicopter lands on NATO counter-piracy Operation Ocean Shield Flagship HNoMS Fridtjof Nansen's flight deck. The helicopter as seen from the bridge as the boarding team fast-rope onto the bow of the Johan de Witt. During a fast-roping the team decends down a rope, hung under a helicopter, using only hands and feet to control the speed of their decent. The Maltese Special Duties Enhanced Boarding Team (MSDEBT) fast-roped from one of the two Cougar helicopters embarked on the Dutch warship. From left to right: Commodore Palma (outgoing Force Commander), Rear Admiral Martens (Deputy Operation Commander), and Commodore Lenselink (incoming Force Commander) at the handover parade in Djibouti Outgoing Force Commander, Commodore Palma, welcomed his successor, Commodore Lenselink (incoming Force Commander), to his new Command.