EU NAVFOR Imprint
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EU NAVFOR OPERATION ATALANTA EU NAVFOR OPERATION ATALANTA COMMAND www.eunavfor.eu European Union NAVAL FORCE EUNAVFOR Operation Commander EU Naval Force Rear Admiral Peter Hudson CBE Rear Admiral Peter Hudson CBE0 was educated at Netherthorpe Grammar School and joined the Royal Navy in 1980 at BRNC Dartmouth. In 1982 he commenced a series of watch keeping and navigation appointments before completing warfare training in 1988 during which he specialised as a navigator. Thereafter he served as Squadron Navigator to the Captain of the Sixth Frigate Squadron, upon the warfare staff of Flag Officer Sea Training and, in 1992 as the Navigator of the aircraft carrier HMS INVINCIBLE. In 1994 he took command of HMS COTTESMORE conducting MCM and Fishery Protection duties around the UK. Following his promotion to Commander in December 1996, he became the Commanding Officer of the Type 23 Frigate, HMS NORFOLK, which included a 7-month deployment to the Falkland Islands. On relinquishing command in 1998 he served in the Naval HQ as the Fleet Operations Officer. In December 2000, after a short tour in the Ministry of Defence, he was promoted Captain and assigned to lead a small team that rationalised the 5 regional Fleet HQs into a single, integrated HQ located in Portsmouth; a project known as FLEET FIRST. In July 2002 he joined the 19,000 ton Amphibious Assault Ship HMS ALBION whilst she was under construction in Barrow. The ship was commissioned into the RN in early 2003 and as her first Commanding Officer he led her through a testing first of class trials programme and into full operational service in April 2004. He was appointed CBE in 2005. Promoted to Commodore in October 2004, he had a short period leading the Fleet Personnel division before moving to Ministry of Defence as the Director of Naval Resources and Plans in September 2005. Thereafter, in early 2008, he returned to operational command duties as the Commander of the Amphibious Task Group (COMATG) during which he commanded a maritime Coalition Task Force in the Gulf for 5 months and then led the RN Taurus deployment to the Far East from his Flagship HMS BULWARK. On promotion to Rear Admiral in June 2009, he was appointed as Commander UK Maritime Force (COMUKMARFOR), the UK’s contingent 2 Star maritime component commander and as Operation Commander of the EU Naval Force for Counter Piracy and Humanitarian operations off Somalia. European Union NAVAL FORCE EUNAVFOR Deputy Operation Commander EU Naval Force Rear Admiral Thorsten Kähler Rear Admiral Thorsten Kähler joined the German Navy in 1973 as an officer candidate and was promoted to Lieutenant in 1975. He studied Economic Sciences and earned an academic degree of Diplom-Kaufmann in 1977. In 1978 he specialized as submarine weapons officer and commenced a series of appointments as weapons and operations officer onboard German Navy submarines. In 1982/83 he served as exchange officer and instructor onboard the French cadet training ship “Jeanne d’Arc”, followed by a Principle Warfare Officers long course at the Netherlands Navy Operations School in Den Helder, where he also specialized in Anti Submarine Warfare. 1984 to 1987 he served onboard German Frigates before being promoted to Commander (JG) and assigned to the Standing Naval Force Atlantic as staff officer Anti Submarine Warfare. 1988 he attended the Command and Staff course at the Federal Armed Forces Command and Staff College in Hamburg. In 1990 he subsequently became Executive Officer of FGS “Bayern”, a German Navy destroyer, where he was promoted to Commander (SG). Thereafter he served as staff officer long-term planning and training at destroyer flotilla staff in Wilhelmshaven. In 1995 he became the first Commanding Officer of the newly-built 123 class frigate “Bayern”. In 1998 he started his first tour of duties as desk officer in the Ministry of Defence in Bonn and Berlin. This included specialisations in Conventional Arms Control, Military Politics, and Planning of German Armed Forces Foreign Deployments. In 2001 he went back to sea, when he assumed command of 6 Frigate Squadron in Wilhelmshaven. His time as a Squadron Commander included a deployment as Chief of Staff CTF 150 in the framework of Operation Enduring Freedom. He was promoted to Captain in 2003. Following his time in command of 6 Frigate Squadron he served at NATO Headquarters Brussels in the International Staff as a specialist for NATO Force Planning. In 2005 he became a branch chief in the Policy Planning and Advisory Staff of the Minister of Defence in Berlin. On promotion to Rear Admiral (LH) in 2006 he was appointed Deputy Director of the Policy Planning and Advisory Staff of the Minister of Defence. In April 2009 he was nominated as Deputy Commander EUNAVFOR Operation ATALANTA and took over responsibilities in June 2009. European Union NAVAL FORCE EUNAVFOR Force Commander EU Naval Force Commodore Pieter J. Bindt Commodore Pieter Bindt was born in Bussum on the 4th October 1959. He entered the Naval College in 1978. On completion he joined the Submarine Service. In January 1989 he moved to Helensburgh, Scotland, for two and a half years to work in the Submarine Tactics and Weapons Group as UK/NL Staff Officer Diesel Submarines and NL liaison officer. In September 1992, after completing the British Submarine Command Course (RN SMCC), he served as Commanding Officer of HNLMS Zeeleeuw. Amongst several exercises and other operations, he patrolled the coast of the Former Republic of Yugoslavia and facilitated on board the last Royal Navy diesel Submarine Command Course. Late 1994 he joined the Naval Staff, Bureau of Operational Requirements, as Staff Officer Submarines for nearly two years. Afterwards he served as Executive Officer on board the M-class frigate HNLMS Tjerk Hiddes. In May 1998 he completed the Advanced Staff Course at the Inter Service Defence College and the Netherlands institute for international relations “Clingendael”. On completion he was “Teacher” of the NL Submarine Command Course, teaching both Dutch and foreign students. From September 2000 until late 2001 he commanded HNLMS Tjerk Hiddes. After this, he was posted as Navy Planner of the National Plans department in the Ministry of Defense. Thereafter he was Commanding Officer of LPD HNLMS Rotterdam. In January 2007 he was appointed Commander Netherlands Maritime Force (COMNLMARFOR) and for NRF12 Commander Amphibious Task Force of the Netherlands/Norwegian NRF amphibious capability modules. Commodore Bindt is married and has two sons. European Union NAVAL FORCE EUNAVFOR Force Commander* EU Naval Force Rear Admiral Giovanni Gumiero *Middle December 2009 R.Adm. GUMIERO is a native of Rome, Italy. He joined the Italian Naval Academy in 1975 and was commissioned in 1979. He served in various Submarines (ITS TOTI, ITS BAGNOLINI, ITS MARCONI, ITS ROMEI, ITS SAURO) and Surface Ships (ITS DANAIDE, ITS VITTORIO VENETO). He Commanded ITS ROMEI from 1986 to 1987, ITS SAURO from 1989 to 1991, ITS DANAIDE from 1993 to 1994 and ITS VITTORIO VENETO from 2001 to 2002. From 1995 to 1996, he attended the Italian Naval War Institute and the Joint Services Staff College. He held an university degree in maritime and naval sciences. Ashore, R.Adm. GUMIERO served as an Operations Staff Officer, Plans Section, in the HQ of the Commander Chief of the Italian Fleet (CINCNAV), in S. Rosa (Rome); from 1994 to 1995, as Officer in Charge of the Operation Office of the Italian Submarine Command and Operational Authority (MARICOSOM). From September 1996 to August 1999, he was assigned to the Supreme Allied Command, Atlantic (SACLANT), as Staff Officer Long Term Armaments Programs, Undersea Warfare Armaments Programs. From September 1999, he was assigned to the NATO/WEU Policy Branch in the Italian Navy General Staff and, then, as Branch Head, to the NATO/EU Force Planning Branch, in the Italian Defence General Staff. From November 2002 to April 2004, he was assigned as the Chief of the Naval Policy Branch and Deputy Chief of the 3rd Division – Plans and Policy of the Italian Navy General Staff. From April 2004 to September 2007, he was assigned as the Chief of the International Relations Branch to the Italian Defense General Staff. From September 2007 to June 2008, he was assigned as Commander of the Italian Mine Countermeasure Forces (COMFORDRAG) in LA SPEZIA, and then, from July 2008, as Commander of the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) for a full year up to June 2009. He reported to the present duties in August 2009. He was promoted Rear Admiral on the 1st of January, 2008. R.Adm. GUMIERO was involved in Operation SHARP GUARD as CO of ITS DANAIDE. As COMSNMG2 he launched and conducted the first ever NATO counter piracy operation, Operation Allied Provider (OAP), in the Gulf of Aden (GOA) and along the Somali coastline, mission which included also the escort and protection of the WFP chartered vessels carrying Humanitarian aids to Somalia. His personal decorations include Knight of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy, Distinguished Navy Service (25 years) Award, Distinguished Service at Sea (15 years) Award, Mauritiana Medal, Distinguished Command Award, Knight of the Order of Saint Gregory Pope, the Italian, NATO, WEU Mission Service Awards and the Italian Defence General Staff Honour Award. EU NAVFOR OPERATION ATALANTA EU NAVAL OPERATION AGAINST PIRACY Aim and Mandate The European Union is conducting a military operation to help deter, prevent and repress acts of piracy and armed robbery off the coast of Somalia. This military operation, named European Union Naval Force Somalia - Operation ATALANTA, was launched in support of Resolutions 1814, 1816, 1838 and 1846 which were adopted in 2008 by the United Nations Security Council. Its mandate is to contribute to: • The protection of vessels of the World Food Programme (WFP) delivering food aid to displaced persons in Somalia; EU NAVFOR ship Rheinland - Pfalz fends off Pirate attack • The protection of vulnerable vessels sailing in the Gulf of Aden and off the Somali coast.