Estonian ship protectors faced with new mission

Photo: PRIIT SIMSON/PM/SCANPIX BALTICS

In addition to yet another Estonian ship protection team about to be placed on board the French frigate Le Courbet to deter Somali pirates within the EU’s Operation Atalanta, the Navy has simultaneously assembled one more unit of that kind, which may soon be headed for the NATO anti-terror operation Active Endeavor, on board a German warship.

The ten year old model of Estonia sending a 10-member ship protection team to the Gulf of Aden on board another state’s vessel, will evidently be altered in near future. In other words: the team to be sent to the Gulf of Aden this Saturday will probably be the last of that order.

According to Defense Forces’ media officer, Lieutenant Commander Ingrid Mühling, the command of Atalanta and the states participating have concluded, that in place of the current model of having a military vessel escort a World Food Programme aid ship, it makes more sense to use independent ship-protecting teams placed on board of the aid ship itself.

«Warships would thus be allowed a wider area of movement and activity,» said Ms Mühling. «For instance, instead of escort duties, warships can check out suspicious vessels, collect intelligence data, and react to emergencies.»

As autonomous units replace teams linked to definite warships, the nature of the units will be changed somewhat. «The role of the land-based logistical support base will increase, the teams will have to be larger,» said Ms Mühling.

According to her, Estonian ship protecting teams have enjoyed good cooperation with German and French marines – as evidenced by the fact that the Germans have proposed that Estonia participate in the Mediterranean anti-terror operation Active Endeavor as part of NATO’s permanent readiness unit SNMG 1.