Are RN ships involved in counter piracy operations?
A – Yes, the Royal Navy is providing a direct contribution to a number of international efforts to counter piracy. Currently, HMS Cornwall is the flagship for Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) conducting NATO’s counter piracy mission, Operation ALLIED PROTECTOR, in the Gulf of Aden; UK Cdre Steve Chick is the Commander of SNMG2. A Royal Navy frigate took part in the first phase of the EU counter-piracy Operation ATALANTA (between December 2008 and March 2009), and we have offered a warship to cover a period in the second half of 2010. The UK also contributes a Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) vessel, currently RFA Waveknight, providing logistics support to Royal Navy and other coalition navies participating in a range of maritime security operations.
