Commodore Ben Bekkering assumes role of Somali Basin Coordinator

On July 15, 2012, Rear Admiral Anho Chung, CCTF 151 took over from Commodore Ben Bekkering, CCTF 508 (NATO Operation Ocean Shield) as Gulf of Aden Coordinator. At that time Commodore Bekkering assumed the duties of Somali Basin Coordinator, the position held by Rear Admiral Chung from June 18, 2012 through July 15, 2012.

Bekkering, Anho Chung (photo: CMF)

Rear Admiral Chung’s command period as Somali Basin Coordinator was relatively quiet due to the poor weather conditions associated with the southwest monsoon, which affects the region from June to September.

Previous CTF 151 commands have noted that piracy activity decreases in periods of poor weather, as pirate skiffs and dhows are more difficult to operate in high sea states and strong winds. For that reason, Rear Admiral Chung anticipates that his Gulf of Aden Coordinator period from July through September will be busy, since the Gulf of Aden and the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) are relatively protected from the southwest monsoon weather, and are still navigable by pirate skiffs and dhows.

CTF 151, CTF 508 and CTF 465 (EUNAVFOR Operation Atalanta) rotate coordination duties in the Somali Basin and Gulf of Aden in order to maximize task force coverage of the operating area and deconflict surface units and air reconnaissance assets. All three task forces aim to protect freedom of navigation throughout the Gulf of Aden, Southern Red Sea, Arabian Sea and Somali Basin, an area encompassing 2.5 million square miles.

Rear Admiral Chung and Commodore Bekkering were able to meet in Salalah, Oman before their turnover. The visit gave the commanders the opportunity to exchange experiences face-to-face.
(Combined Maritime Forces, Bahrain, 23 July 2012)

Ontmoeting NAVO en China op zee

Gisteren vond in de Golf van Aden een ontmoeting plaats tussen de piratenbestrijders van de NAVO en China. Commandeur Ben Bekkering bezocht met een delegatie de Chinese destroyer DDG Qingdao en sprak er met schout-bij-nacht Yang Jun-fei.

DDG Qingdao (voorgrond) en Hr. Ms. Evertsen. Foto: NAVO

Commandeur Bekkering is momenteel de commandant van 'Task Force 508', het NAVO-smaldeel dat in het kader van operatie Ocean Shield de piraterij bestrijdt in de wateren rond Somalië. Hij doet dat vanaf het vlaggenschip Hr. Ms. Evertsen, dat binnenkort wordt afgelost door Hr. Ms. Rotterdam. 

Overleg op de Qingdao. Foto: NAVO

Schout-bij-nacht Yang Jun-fei en coommandeur Ben Bekkering
Foto: NAVO

China neemt sinds begin 2009 deel aan de antipiraterij-operaties met een smaldeel dat doorgaans bestaat uit twee fregatten/destroyers en een bevoorradingsschip. Het land doet dat zelfstandig, maar wisselt wel informatie uit met de operaties Atalanta (EU), Ocean Shield (NAVO), Combined Task Force 151 (o.l.v. de VS) en individuele landen als India, Japan, Korea en Rusland.

(Defensie weblog, 14 juli 2012)