Canarian Weekly
30-11-2012, 12:40
A Spanish admiral has been appointed to lead the EU anti-piracy operation in the Gulf of Aden.
Rear Admiral Pedro Angel García de Paredes Perez de Sevilla will take up the post of force commander for operation Atalanta on December 6th.
According to the latest UN reports, sea pirates carried out 291 attacks and hijackings around the globe in the first 10 months of 2012. They still hold at least 293 hostages.
Pirates are most active in coastal waters around Africa, especially in the Gulf of Aden.
Operation EU NAVFOR ATALANTA, involves 1,500 military personnel, launched back in December 2008; it aims to prevent acts of piracy and armed robberies off the Somali coast and in the Indian Ocean its remit extends to 2014
The composition of EU NAVFOR changes constantly due to the frequent rotation of units and varies according to the monsoon seasons in the Indian Ocean. However, it typically comprises 4 – 7 surface warships and 2 – 3 maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft.
Additionally, a considerable international military naval presence is now in the area, comprising of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), NATO and also units from China,India,Japan,Russia,Taiwan and others.
Task forces from the Russian Navy, usually led by Udaloy class destroyers, operate in the area on a rotating basis.
Russian warships have successfully escorted hundreds of commercial vessels from various countries through pirate-infested waters off the Somali coast since 2008
More... (http://www.canarianweekly.com/spanish-admiral-fends-pirates/)
Rear Admiral Pedro Angel García de Paredes Perez de Sevilla will take up the post of force commander for operation Atalanta on December 6th.
According to the latest UN reports, sea pirates carried out 291 attacks and hijackings around the globe in the first 10 months of 2012. They still hold at least 293 hostages.
Pirates are most active in coastal waters around Africa, especially in the Gulf of Aden.
Operation EU NAVFOR ATALANTA, involves 1,500 military personnel, launched back in December 2008; it aims to prevent acts of piracy and armed robberies off the Somali coast and in the Indian Ocean its remit extends to 2014
The composition of EU NAVFOR changes constantly due to the frequent rotation of units and varies according to the monsoon seasons in the Indian Ocean. However, it typically comprises 4 – 7 surface warships and 2 – 3 maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft.
Additionally, a considerable international military naval presence is now in the area, comprising of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), NATO and also units from China,India,Japan,Russia,Taiwan and others.
Task forces from the Russian Navy, usually led by Udaloy class destroyers, operate in the area on a rotating basis.
Russian warships have successfully escorted hundreds of commercial vessels from various countries through pirate-infested waters off the Somali coast since 2008
More... (http://www.canarianweekly.com/spanish-admiral-fends-pirates/)