Italian warship training Mozambican Navy*

by Dean Wingrin, February 10, 10:04 am

The Italian Navy vessel Borsini is in Mozambican waters for the next two months as it trains the southern African nation's small navy, following the signature of a maritime collaboration agreement between the two countries.

The 30th Naval Group of the Italian Navy, comprising the aircraft carrier Cavour (CVH550), frigate Bergamini (F590), patrol ship Borsini (P491) and supply ship Etna (A5326), left Italy on 13 November on a circumnavigation of the African continent. Commanded by Rear Admiral Paolo Treu, the Naval Group arrived in Maputo, Mozambique, on 27 January.

Titled "A Country on the Move", the Naval Group is a joint Italian Navy and industry campaign involving multiple objectives, such as training, maritime security operations, confidence building, naval diplomacy, humanitarian assistance and the promotion of Italian industry.

The technical agreement for collaboration with the Mozambique Navy was signed by the Italian Chief of Navy during his visit to Maputo between 28 and 30 January.

In terms of the agreement, the Italian and the Mozambican navies will carry out naval cooperation activities in Mozambican waters for two months. In particular, training will be organized at sea and on land with specific emphasis placed on anti-piracy and patrolling in Mozambican territorial waters. Other areas of cooperative training include protection of commercial shipping, the fight against trafficking and rescue at sea.

The Italian Navy has experience with anti-piracy operations in the Indian Ocean, being a participant in Operation Atalanta, the European Union's counter-piracy operation off the coast of Somalia.

As a result of the cooperation agreement, the patrol ship Borsini detached from the Naval Group on 1 February and will remain in Mozambican waters for the next two months.

Speaking to defenceWeb, Treu said that the Borsini will be helping the Mozambican Navy to grow. "It's a small navy, so we are trying to provide them (with) our experience in maritime security operations, in particularly in anti-piracy activities and protecting the ships from terrorist attacks," he said.

In light of the recent natural gas deposits discovered in Mozambique, Treu noted that the country has to learn how to protect its resources.

"We are there just to help them grow as a navy, providing them with our experience," he explained. "We will show them how to perform operations (like anti-piracy patrols). If there is a real event going on, of course we could be tasked to do a real operation to fight piracy in case of need," he continued.

The South African Navy, supported by the South African Air Force, has maintained a permanent anti-piracy patrol in the Mozambique Channel since early 2011, under Operation Copper. The frigate SAS Spioenkop is currently on station.

Having departed Maputo on 31 January, the three remaining vessels of the Naval Group arrived in Cape Town on 5 February.

Following their departure from Cape Town on 11 February, the Naval Group will continue its circumnavigation of the African continent, visiting Luanda in Angola next.

Mozambique's small navy has only a few serviceable vessels, including two Namacurra boats (donated by South Africa), eight patrol vessels (including RHIBs) and a Conejera class patrol craft (Pebane - donated by Spain). However, last year French firm Constructions Mecaniques de Normandie (CMN) was given a $200 million contract to build three Ocean Eagle 43 patrol vessels, three HSI 32 interceptors and 24 CMN 23.5 trawlers for the Mozambican navy. Deliveries are scheduled to take place by 2016.

* Notícia publicada a Defence News. Un altre exemple de col·laboració en matèria de lluïta contra la pirateria. Caldrà veure si aquesta és efectiva, doncs d'això en depèn que les flotes europees puguin reduïr el nombre d'unitats en desplegament permanent a les aigües orientals de l'Àfrica.

Spanish Admiral to Lead EU Anti-Piracy Mission*

BRUSSELS, November 27 (RIA Novosti) – A Spanish admiral was appointed on Tuesday to lead the EU anti-piracy operation in the Gulf of Aden, the Council of the European Union said.

Rear Admiral Pedro Angel García de Paredes Perez de Sevilla will take up the post of force commander for operation Atalanta on December 6. He replaces Rear Admiral Enrico Credendino from Italy on the rotation basis.

Operation EU NAVFOR ATALANTA, launched in December 2008, aims to prevent acts of piracy and armed robbery off the Somali coast and in the Indian Ocean.

In March 2012 the Council of the EU extended the EU counter-piracy operation until December 2014.

Including land-based personnel, EU NAVFOR consists of around 1,500 military personnel.

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 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, when Russia joined the international anti-piracy mission in the region.

Russia has also called for the creation of a special UN juridical body to try hijackers captured during anti-piracy operations off the Somali coast.

According to latest UN reports, sea pirates carried out 291 attacks and hijackings around the globe in the first 10 months of 2012. They hold at least 293 hostages.

Pirates are most active in coastal waters around Africa, especially in the Gulf of Aden.

*Notícia publicada a RIA Novosti.

Piraterie : formation de gardes-côtes djiboutiens*

Le 16 mai 2012, l’équipage de la frégate de surveillance (FS) Nivôse, engagée dans l’opération Atalante depuis le 16 avril 2012, a formé une équipe de gardes-côtes djiboutiens lors de son escale à Djibouti.

Les marins du Nivôse ont exposé les procédures d’interception de skiffs suspects, la mise en place d’une équipe de protection embarquée (EPE), ainsi que la prise en charge de pirates présumés. La formation a été composée d’une partie théorique puis d’une mise en application des éléments enseignés.

Une partie de la journée a par ailleurs été consacrée à l’emploi du site internet sécurisé Mercuy. Ce site créé et géré par le MSCHOA (Centre de sécurité maritime pour la Corne de l’Afrique) permet à tous les acteurs militaires et civiles engagés dans la lutte contre la piraterie, ou en étant les victimes potentielles, d’échanger de l’information voire en signaler les attaques en cours.

Cette journée fait partie intégrante d’un programme général de coopération supervisé par l’état-major de la force européenne Atalante, embarqué à bord de la Marne. Le bénéfice de ce type de rencontre mutuel a pour objectif d’aider les marines et gardes-côtes des pays de la région à développer des capacités maritimes propres, tout en permettant aux bâtiments de la force européenne Atalante de profiter de leur expérience et de leur connaissance de la zone. Cela facilite par ailleurs les contacts ultérieurs lors d’éventuelles opérations où une collaboration pourrait être nécessaire.

Cette démarche s’inscrit dans l’approche globale de l’Union Européenne et de la France en particulier en matière de lutte contre la piraterie, qui vise à soutenir le gouvernement somalien et promouvoir la coopération avec les pays de la région.

* Notícia publicada al web de la Marine Nationale. La formació de forces locals de guarda-costes és, en tots els aspectes, una bona notícia. Tot un exemple de com emprar correctament un enclavament a l'exterior, en aquest cas, Djibouti.