The EU NAVFOR Dutch ship HNLMS Evertsen under the Command of Commander Cees Vooijs sailed from Den Helder to join the EU Naval Force operating off the Somali coast in its Anti Piracy mission.
Onboard the ship is Commodore Peter Bindt who will take over the role of Force Commander from the EU NAVFOR Spanish ship Numancia in the middle of August in the Gulf of Aden. Admiral Peter Hudson, the Operational Commander of EU NAVFOR based in the Headquarters in Northwood discussed the forthcoming mission with both Commodore Bindt and Commander Voojis and said how important it was for European Member States to contribute fully to this hugely important international task which the EU is acknowledged as leading. Hudson: “Piracy was continuing and would continue until a political solution was found in Somalia”. He was pleased that the EU force is leading the way in this international task and that the actions of EU NAVFOR ships was having a direct effect on the reducing success rates of pirates’ attacks. "Since EU NAVFOR has been involved we have reduced that success rate to about one in eight or nine”. HNLMS EVERTSEN will proceed to the Gulf of Aden and relieve the present Force Commander Captain Garat Carame onboard the EU NAVFOR Spanish warship NUMANCIA who has been controlling operations in the area for the last four months. The ships will meet in the Gulf of Aden in the middle of August and formally hand over command of the EU NAVFOR.
