European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) Exercise

Context:

Maiden Indian Navy – European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) Exercise in Gulf Of Aden

Key Highlights:

• Indian Naval Ship Trikand, mission deployed for Anti-Piracy Operations, is participating in the maiden IN – EUNAVFOR Joint Naval Exercise in the Gulf of Aden.
• A total of five warships from four navies are participating in the exercise on 18^th and 19^th June 2021.
• Other warships include Italian Navy Ship ITS Carabinere, Spanish Navy Ship ESPS Navarra, and two French Navy Ship FS Tonnerre and FS Surcouf.
• The two day exercise will see high tempo-naval operations at sea, including
  • advanced air defence and anti-submarine exercises,
  • cross deck helicopter operations,
  • tactical manoeuvres,
  • boarding operations,
  • underway replenishment,
  • Search & Rescue,
  • Man Overboard drills, and
  • other maritime security operations.
• Ships of the four navies will endeavour to enhance and hone their war-fighting skills and their ability as an integrated force to promote, peace, security and stability in the maritime domain. 
• Concurrently, a virtual “Information sharing Exercise” is also being conducted between the Indian Navy Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region and Maritime Security Centre-Horn of Africa on 18 June 21.

EUNAVFOR and the Indian Navy

EUNAVFOR and the Indian Navy converge on multiple issues including counter piracy operations and protection of vessels deployed under the charter of World Food Programme (UN WFP). Indian Navy and EUNAVFOR also have regular interaction through SHADE (Shared Awareness and De-confliction) meetings held annually at Bahrain. This engagement showcases increased levels of synergy, coordination and inter-operability between IN and EUNAVFOR. It also underscores the shared values as partner navies, in ensuring freedom of seas and commitment to an open, inclusive and a rules-based international order.

About EUNAVFOR:

• Operation Atalanta, formally European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) 
• It is a current counter-piracy military operation at sea off the Horn of Africa and in the Western Indian Ocean, that is the first naval operation conducted by the European Union (EU).
• The operational headquarters is currently located at the Spanish Operation Headquarters (ESOHQ) at Naval Station Rota (NAVSTA Rota) in Spain, having moved from London as a result of the British withdrawal from the EU.
• It is part of a larger global action by the EU to prevent and combat acts of piracy in the Indian Ocean, and it is the first EU naval operation to be launched. It cooperates with the multinational Combined Task Force 151 of the US-led Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) and NATO’s anti-piracy Operation Ocean Shield.
• The mission was launched in December 2008 with a focus on protecting Somalia-bound vessels and shipments belonging to the WFP and AMISOM, as well as select other vulnerable shipments. In addition, Operation Atalanta monitors fishing activity on the regional seaboard.
• In July 2018, the Council of the European Union extended the Mandate of Operation ATALANTA until December 2020.

World Food Programme

• The WFP is the food-assistance branch of the United Nations and the world’s largest humanitarian organization focused on hunger and food security.
• Founded by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 1961.
• It is headquartered in Rome and has offices in 80 countries.
• In addition to emergency food aid, WFP focuses on relief and rehabilitation, development aid, and special operations, such as making food systems more resilient against climate change and political instability.
• It is an executive member of the United Nations Development Group, which collectively aims to fulfil the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), and has prioritized achieving SDG 2 for “zero hunger” by 2030.

Shared Awareness and De-confliction (SHADE)

• Shared Awareness and De-confliction (SHADE) is an international operational counter piracy platform, convened in Bahrain aimed to encourage partners for sharing information, assessing the evolution of trends, best practices and to de-conflict operations amongst counter-piracy actors in the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Oman and the Western Indian Ocean.
• The first meeting, entitled ‘Shared Awareness and Deconfliction’ was held in Bahrain in December 2008 

Source: PIB