The Netherlands takes over Force Command of Operation Atalanta

New Force Commander:
Commodore Peter
Lenselink, RNLN

Earlier today, Tuesday 6 August, Commodore Jorge Novo Palma Portuguese Navy handed over the Force Command of EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia Operation Atalanta to Commodore Peter Lenselink Royal Netherlands Navy during a change of command ceremony aboard NRP Álvares Cabral in the Port of Djibouti.

Deputy Operation Commander of EU Naval Force Rear Admiral Jean Martens presided over the handover.

The outgoing Force Commander reflected on a very successful four months in command:

“During the past four months there were no confirmed attacks on merchant vessels within the area of operations and it has been over a year since the last ship was hijacked by pirates.  Also the protection of World Food Programme aid ships by EU Naval Force warships has ensured that over 21,000 tonnes of food and other aid have been safely delivered to the Somalia people. To all the units that have been part of EU NAVFOR force, the crew of the flagship and the Force Headquarters staff, I want to express to all of you that is has been an honour and a privilege to work with you and share the accomplishment of our mission.”

During Commodore Palma’s time as Force Commander, the EU Naval Force continued to strengthen links with regional states and continued with the maritime  capacity building programme throughout the area of operations.  EU Naval Force also hosted a meeting between members of the Somali Federal Government and the EU on board NRP Alvares Cabral off the coast of Mogadishu.  NRP Alvares Cabral was the first EU Naval Force ship to visit the port of Mozambique.

New flagship: HNLMS Johan de Witt 

The new Force Commander Commodore Peter Lenselink will command the EU Naval Force from the Dutch Warship HNLMS Johan de Witt for the next 4 months.  During the handover ceremony he stated, “I am very honored to fulfill this important task.  It is my intention to continue to command the operation in the same proactive and engaging was as my predecessors, vigorously executing the mandate of EUNAVFOR operation Atalanta . It is also my intention to work as closely as possible with the other EU missions that operate in the region, EUTM and EUCAP NESTOR, in order to support the EU’s comprehensive approach”.

Following the transfer of command, the Deputy Operation Commander of EU NAVFOR, Rear Admiral Jean Martens, thanked Commodore Palma for his achievements and welcomed Commodore Lenselink.  He went on to say that:

“We should always remember that the reduction in pirate attacks is entirely reversible until Somalia is able to police and protect its own waters. The European Union Naval Force will advise Somalia in developing a maritime security strategy and will continue to deter and disrupt piracy. At the same time, we will help support the EU’s comprehensive approach to Somalia in cooperation with other EU Missions and the other counter piracy operations from NATO and Combined Maritime Forces.”

The ceremony was attended by distinguished guests from many nations as well as representatives from the Djiboutian Authorities, other EU Missions and representatives of the units of EU Naval Force.

EU NAVFOR Operation ATALANTA main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid of the World Food Program (WFP) and vessels of AMISOM, and to protect vulnerable ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean and to deter and disrupt piracy. EUNAVFOR also monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.

Joint Operations Room, HNLMS Johan de Witt

Force Commander: Commodore Peter Lenselink

The Force Commander exercises command and control of all military forces in the Area of Operation. He is responsible for the planning, orchestration and execution of military activities.

Commodore Peter William Lenselink was born in 1958 in Vught (NL). During his schooldays he lived in Germany ( 1967 – 1970) and in Surinam (1971- 1974). In 1976 he joined the Royal Netherlands Naval College as Midshipman. He was commissioned as Naval Officer in 1979. Between 1979 and 1983 he served as watchkeeping and flightdeck officer on HNLMS Van Speijk and HNLMS Bloys van Treslong.

On completion of the maritime warfare course in 1984 he served as warfare officer/ASW specialist on board frigates. In 1988 he joined the Operational School as instructor Anti Submarine Warfare. In 1989 he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander and became Head of the Operational Trainer Department. He returned to the fleet again in 1991 as Operations Officer of HNLMS Bloys van Treslong. During this period he served for the fourth time in NATO’s Standing Naval Force Atlantic. After this tour he was selected for the long staff course at Defence Staff College ‘Ypenberg’.

After graduation in December 1993 he was appointed Flag Lieutenant to the Commander-in- Chief Royal Netherlands Navy, followed by a tour as Staff Officer Operations in the Belgian –Netherlands Destroyer Squadron. He assumed command of the frigate HNLMS Philips van Almonde in 1997. During this tour the ship was deployed for 6 months as West Indian Guard Ship.

In November 1998 he was appointed Chief of Staff of the Belgian Netherlands Task Group. February 2000 he joined the Naval Staff at The Hague as Deputy Director International Plans and Policy/ Foreign Liaison Officer.

In April 2002, promoted to Captain, he was appointed Executive Assistant to the Commander-in- Chief Royal Netherlands Navy. December 2004 he returned to the fleet to take command of the Sea Training Command.

 On 10 June 2007 he was promoted to Commodore. He took over command as Flag Officer Netherlands Forces in the Caribbean (FONLFORCARIB) on 28 June 2007. In that capacity he was also Director of the Coast Guard for the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba (DCGNA&A) and Commander Task Group 4.4. (CTG 4.4). In July 2010 he became Commander Netherlands Maritime Force (COMNLMARFOR).

Commodore Lenselink and his wife Anne Mieke live with their children Tim (1996) and Julia (1998) in Voorschoten, The Netherlands. He is interested in international affairs, architecture and sports (tennis, running and swimming).

(EU Navfor, 6 August 2013)

Counter-Piracy ‘Big Three’ Meet At Sea

On 24 August 2012 the Force Commanders from the EU Naval Force Somalia – Operation Atalanta (EU NAVFOR), NATO Operation Ocean Shield (TF-508) and Combined Task Force 151 (operated by the Combined Maritime Forces – CMF) met on board the EU NAVFOR flagship ITS San Guisto (Italian Navy) to further enhance the cooperation and coordination in the fight against piracy.

The flagships, ITS San Giusto (EU NAVFOR), HNLMS Rotterdam (NATO) and the ROKS Wang Geon (CTF-151) rendezvoused in the Gulf of Aden to allow the three Force Commanders to meet face to face.

(Left to Right) Rear Admiral Anho Chung,
Rear Admiral Enrico Credendino, Commodore Ben Bekkering 

Dutch NATO Commander Commodore Ben Bekkering and CTF-151 Commander Rear Admiral Anho Chung from the Republic of Korea were welcomed by Italian EU NAVFOR Force Commander Rear Admiral Enrico Credendino aboard the San Giusto.

The three Counter-Piracy forces coordinate their actions on a daily basis to enhance their capability and effectiveness in deterring, disrupting and counteracting piracy off the Somali coast and in the Gulf of Aden.  Although modern means of communications allow reliable long distance exchanges of information and a continuous flow of communications, face to face meetings are still very important.

This was the second time that the three main Counter-Piracy forces have met at sea; the first time having occurred on 23 July 2012 onboard HNMLS Evertsen (former flagship of Ocean Shield-NATO Commander).

The three Force Commanders discussed the strategic and tactical situation of piracy since the beginning of 2012 and agreed that, whilst the recent downturn in piracy off the Horn is Africa is welcomed, that military forces need to remain vigilant to further attacks by pirates on ships transiting the area.

(EUNAVFOR, 24 August 2012)

NATO Warship HNLMS Rotterdam frees hijacked dhow

In the early morning of the 13th of August, the boarding team of HNLMS Rotterdam disrupted a suspected pirate group before they could launch an attack on a merchant ship. The decisive action was the result of a daylong operation of ships and patrol aircraft from NATO and EUNAVFOR.

The search for the suspected pirates started five days ago, when Bossaaso port authorities reported a possible hijacking of a dhow. Two days later, the EU Naval Force unit Lafayette located the dhow. A visit showed that the suspected pirates had transferred to another vessel, the Bourhan Nour. That dhow was located another day later by another EU Naval Force unit, FGS Sachsen.

Landing vessel of HNLMS Rotterdam between Somali coast
and hijacked dhow

It became clear the suspected pirates were bound for Somalia, apparently ready to give up their plans. Commodore Ben Bekkering, Commander of NATO’s counter piracy mission, Operation Ocean Shield explains what action was taken; “To us it seemed highly unlikely that the pirates would want to return to Bossaaso. The authorities there make no secret of their intentions to eradicate piracy. However, to the east of Bossaaso two hijacked ships are still held by the pirates, who seem to be present in the nearby villages as well. We expected the pirates to go there, possibly asking help from their colleagues. We therefore decided to station Rotterdam off the coast, deploying her landing craft in a number of locations, effectively blocking any retreat from or support of the dhow. As expected, the dhow entered the trap. It was then up to Rotterdam.”

Hijacked dhow and EU-flagship FGS Sachsen

“For the pirates it must have been a strange site. Not just Rotterdam and FGS Sachsen from the EU Naval Force Somalia (EUNAVFOR) following closely, but also a helicopter and few landing craft ahead making the coast almost impossible to approach,” explains Captain Huub Hulsker, Commanding Officer of HNLMS Rotterdam. “There was not really anywhere for them to go. Obviously, the main thought is always for the safety of my crew and that of the crew of the dhow. But the situation was clear and some strict orders and two warning shots later, the suspected pirates surrendered. The boarding team was on board and in control of the vessel within the next 20 minutes. A grateful dhow crew, an impressive first action of my whole team early in my deployment and six suspected pirates detained on board, awaiting further decisions - this is a result that counts.”

Dutch marines arrest suspected pirates

NATO is working alongside EUNAVFOR, Combined Maritime Forces and individual nations to fight piracy. By joining forces, counter piracy efforts are more effective and can achieve more than any one ship, navy,  organisation or country working alone.

(NATO Maritime Command Northwood, 14 August 2012)

Counter-piracy: EU, NATO commanders meet at sea

On 16 June on board EUNAVFOR French flag ship Marne, Force Commander Rear Admiral Dupuis and his staff hosted the new Dutch Commander of Task Force 508 (NATO – operation Ocean Shield), commodore Ben Bekkering. The flagships, FS Marne and HNLMS frigate Evertsen, had rendezvous north of the Horn of Africa, protected from the effects of the monsoon which currently prevails in the Somali Basin.

Dupuis (l.), Bekkering 

Transferred with part of his staff by a Lynx helicopter, Commodore Ben Bekkering had extensive discussions with Rear Admiral Dupuis. This type of encounters at sea is particularly important to ensure the smooth flow of information and coordination needed in the area of operation. In this case, mutual understanding is made even easier as the new CTF 508 has also been recently the commanding officer of a Dutch ship operating in EUNAVFOR. If both forces act under different commands, their mission remains the same and some nations like the Netherlands also operate within the two forces.

Besides tactical coordination, the main topic of conversation was the evolution of piracy and its significant decrease over the past months. The two forces were able to exchange views and reflect on how best to promote a sustainable improvement of the situation, with the common goal to fight against piracy and restore order off the coasts of Somalia.

(EUNAVFOR, 21 June 2012)

EU Naval Forces rescues Iranian fishermen

On 11 May EU NAVFOR frigate HNLMS Van Amstel released a fishing dhow and her Iranian crew off the coast of Somalia. The dhow had been pirated 10 days earlier and was being used to carry out pirate attacks on merchant vessels.

Yesterday afternoon, during a surveillance flight 400 nautical miles off the Somali coast, the helicopter from Van Amstel identified the dhow towing two skiffs, with what looked like piracy-related equipment on board, such as ladders.

HNLMS Van Amstel quickly arrived at the dhow’s position and the boarding team was sent on board for investigation. After a few minutes, weapons were found and the boarding team was able to discriminate the 17 innocent Iranian crew members from 11 suspected pirates.

The fishing dhow had been pirated off the Omani coast, and is probably related to the unsuccessful attack against MV Super Lady on May 9, only two days before.

By this action, EU NAVFOR frigate Van Amstel has rendered inoperative a pirate group and its mothership. Above all the Dutch sailors freed the very relieved and happy Iranian crew, who expressed their gratitude and joy at being able to now go back home to their families.

(EUNAVFOR, 12 May 2012)

EU Plans to Boost East Africa’s Capacity to Deal With Pirates

By David Malingha Doya

The European Union will begin a program to help East African nations improve maritime security as pirate attacks in the region decline, EU Ambassador to Tanzania Filiberto Ceriani Sebregondi said.

The so-called Regional Maritime Capacity Building program will cover Somalia, Kenya Tanzania, Djibouti, Seychelles and Mauritius, Sebregondi said in an interview yesterday in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s commercial capital. “The program starts in a couple of weeks or months, and will last for one to two years, with a possibility of extending it,” he said.

Hr.Ms. van Amstel (foto Defensie)

The EU also plans to spend 16 million euros ($21 million) extending its anti-piracy program off the coast of Somalia over the next two years to secure United Nations food shipments to the war-torn country, he said. Sebregondi spoke on board the HNLMS Van Amstel, a multi-purpose military vehicle that has been docked at Dar es Salaam since April 21.

Global pirate attacks fell 28 percent to 102 incidents in the first quarter as naval interventions reduced incidents off the coast of Somalia, the International Maritime Bureau said yesterday. Attacks near Somalia declined to 43 from 97 and the number of vessels that were hijacked also dropped.

In Somalia, the capacity-building program will focus on enabling the police and the judiciary to start handling the piracy problem domestically, Sebregondi said.

The bloc also plans to sign a pirate-transfer agreement with Tanzania “soon” to allow the EU to hand over suspected pirates captured at sea to Tanzanian authorities, Sebregondi said.

(Click here for continuation of the article of Business Week/Bloomberg, 24 April 2012)

Dutch Defence Minister: The EU Must Take the Initiative

“Not only must we tackle the pirates at sea, when they are ready to strike, but also on land, where their criminal networks are based. In that way, we – and not the pirates – will gain the initiative”, argued Minister of Defence Hans Hillen in Brussels during a meeting with his European Union counterparts on 22 March 2012.

The EU-ministers were meeting to receive an update on Operation Atalanta, the counter-piracy mission off the coast of Somalia. The operation has been extended to the end of 2014 and the Netherlands is considering making a further contribution. A letter on the matter will be sent to the House of Representatives in the near future.

Private security
The Minister expressed his concerns to his colleagues regarding the discussion about allowing private security teams on board merchant ships. “It is my firm conviction that the armed protection of commercial shipping off the coast of Somalia is a matter for the armed forces.” For that reason, the Minister has assigned the Royal Netherlands Navy the task of protecting between 50 and 100 ships per year. “That is a large enough number to cover the protection of vulnerable ships sailing under the Dutch flag. The armed forces can certainly do it and it is one of the government’s core tasks. The navy was originally established to guarantee freedom of the seas, and it is still capable of doing so. Giving up the monopoly on the use of force and allowing privatisation of this task is a recipe for disaster.”

More tanker aircraft
The talks in Brussels centred on the progress of European Defence cooperation, so that the EU will be able to present a concrete contribution at the NATO summit, to be held in Chicago in May.

The talks also moved onto the shortage of tanker aircraft, which was recently highlighted during the conflict in Libya. The European fleet currently numbers about 40 of such aircraft, whereas the US has approximately 650 tanker aircraft at its disposal. France and the European Defence Agency took the initiative for European cooperation in this matter, which affords the prospect of a future role for European Air Transport Command at Eindhoven Air Base. The Netherlands fully wishes to participate, also in view of the fact that 2 Dutch tanker aircraft could be replaced after 2020.

Combined field hospital
Mr Hillen also signed a declaration of intent for the development of a rapidly deployable field hospital. 12 countries are participating in the project, which is under Italian leadership. The Netherlands is also prepared to play a bigger part in a forensic laboratory, to be set up in Afghanistan under French command. The laboratory will be used to gather intelligence on the use of IEDs, which will in turn be used to uncover and disrupt the networks supporting the bomb makers.

(Ministry of Defence, The Netherlands,  29 March 2012)

EU Operations Centre to support CSDP missions in the Horn of Africa

The Council today activated the EU Operations Centre in support of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions in the Horn of Africa. This is the first activation of the EU Operations Centre.

The Operations Centre will coordinate and increase synergies between the three CSDP actions in the Horn of Africa. The EU is currently conducting two military operations – EUNAVFOR Atalanta, which fights piracy off the Somali coast, and EUTM Somalia, which contributes to the training of Somali security forces. It has also started operational planning for a civilian mission to strengthen maritime capacities in the region (RMCB).

The Operations Centre will provide direct support to the operations commander for the planning and conduct of the RMCB mission and facilitate coordination between EUTM and Operation Atalanta and their interaction with Brussels-based structures. If requested, it will also support strategic planning for CSDP missions and operations in the Horn of Africa.

The Operations Centre will not have command responsibility, but will fully respect the existing chains of command. It will include some EU military staff, the Brussels-based support cell for the EU training mission in Somalia, the liaison team of Operation Atalanta in Brussels as well as staff seconded by member states.

The head of the EU Operations Centre will be Captain Ad van der Linde (Netherlands).The Operations Centre, which was created in 2003, will be active for an initial duration of two years. Its activities and financing will be regularly reviewed.

(bron: Raad van de Europese Unie, 23 maart 2012)

Hr. Ms. Van Amstel vaart uit voor antipiraterij missie

Het M-fregat Hr.Ms. Van Amstel vertrekt maandag uit thuishaven Den Helder. Het schip wordt de komende maanden in de wateren rond Somalië ingezet voor de antipiraterij missie ATALANTA. Het is voor het eerst dat een M-fregat deelneemt aan deze operatie.

Operatie Atalanta is een door de Europese Unie geleide missie en richt zich op het terugdringen van piraterij voor de kust van Somalië. Belangrijkste taken van de EU taakgroep zijn het beschermen van kwetsbare scheepvaart in de Golf van Aden, het verstoren van piraterij en de Indische Oceaan en het escorteren van schepen varend voor het ‘World Food Program’. Het fregat is tijdens de missie uitgerust met een Westland Lynx Helikopter en een ‘enhanced boarding team’ van mariniers.

Hr.Ms. Van Amstel is een Multipurposefregat van de Karel Doormanklasse. Dit type fregat is geschikt voor luchtverdediging, de bestrijding van onderzeeboten en oppervlakteschepen. Door de rompvorm kan het schip bij zware zee ook zijn snelheid behouden. Ook kunnen helikopters met slecht weer op dit type fregat landen. De Van Amstel is 122 meter lang, 14,4 meter breed en heeft een diepgang van 6,2 meter. Het schip wordt voortgestuwd door twee Stork Werkspoor dieselmotoren en twee Rolls Royce gasturbines. Hiermee bereikt het een snelheid van 29 knopen. De commandant van Hr.Ms. Van Amstel is kapitein-luitenant-ter-zee Hans Veerbeek.

(bron: ministerie van Defensie, 16 maart 2012)