Welcome to the homepage of MCC Northwood

Allied Maritime Component Command
Headquarters Northwood is based at Northwood in the United Kingdom and provides specialist Maritime expertise to the Joint Force Commander in Brunssum, the Netherlands.

For more details on NATO please see www.nato.int

08 Feb 10

NATO Warship HDMS Absalon disrupts piracy again

On Sunday 7th February 2010 Danish warship HDMS Absalon who is part of NATO’s counter-piracy Operation Ocean Shield once again disrupted piracy in the Gulf of Aden. During the night HDMS Absalon located a suspicious ‘contact’ on radar. By using the ship’s sensors the contact was identified as a fast moving open boat with eight men onboard – a typical indication of a pirate skiff.

Press Release / View Pictures

08 Feb 10

NATO Commander meets Task Force counterpart in Gulf of Aden

Yesterday, Commodore Christian Rune, commander of the NATO Task Force operating in the counter piracy mission Operation Ocean Shield, met with the Republic of Singapore Rear Admiral Bernard Miranda. He is commander of the Combined Task Force 151 who are also involved in a counter piracy mission. The meeting took place on board the NATO flagship, HDMS Absalon.

Press Release

05 Feb 10

NATO warship HDMS Absalon saves ship from pirate attack  

Danish warship HDMS Absalon, who is part of NATO’S counter piracy operation in the Gulf of Aden today rescued the cargo ship MV Ariella which came under attack by pirates. The master of the Ariella had sent out a may-day call that pirates, armed with guns had boarded his ship and he needed urgent assistance. The crew had managed to lock themselves away in a safe room, enabling the NATO warship to send a team of specially trained forces to board the ship and regain control.

Press Release  

05 Feb 10

NATO promotes best practice to Maritime Shipping in fight against piracy

NATO maritime commanders today reiterated the importance of the maritime community adopting the recommended self protection measures to help in the fight against piracy when they sail through the Gulf of Aden and Somali Basin. The call comes after two motor vessels came under attack by pirates this week in the Gulf of Aden, with two very different outcomes – one who adopted the self protection measures was able to successfully repel the attack, whilst the other who did not was pirated, and is now being taken to a pirates’ lair off the Somali coast. Press Release

05 Feb 10

NATO Warship HMS Chatham comes to the rescue of Yemeni Fishermen

Today Royal Navy warship HMS Chatham, who is part of NATO’s counter piracy operation OCEAN SHIELD came to the rescue of Yemeni fishermen who were found adrift in the Gulf of Aden.
The Dhow, with 21 Yemeni fishermen on board was spotted drifting in the middle of the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) in the Gulf of Aden. HMS Chatham dispatched her Royal Marines Boarding Team to the Dhow to investigate further. Press Release

01 Feb 10

NATO warship HDMS Absalon assists Indian Cargo Ship after pirate attack.

Danish warship HDMS Absalon, who is part of NATO’s Operation
Ocean Shield, today rendered assistance to an Indian flagged
cargo ship (known as a dhow). The dhow “Faize Osamani” and her
crew of 12 had been taken by Somali pirates with the intention
of using her as a mother-ship to mount further attacks against maritime shipping.

Press Release 

01 Feb 10

NATO warship HMS Chatham arrives in the Gulf of Aden for Counter Piracy Operations  

Royal Navy warship HMS Chatham has arrived in the Gulf of Aden to take part in NATO’s Operation Ocean Shield the code name for NATO’s counter piracy mission off the Horn of Africa and into the Somali Basin. Along with other
multinational Task Groups and warships in the area, HMS CHATHAM
will help to protect the merchant ships, many of which bring goods
in to the UK, as they transit this busy sea area.

Press Release

28 Jan 10

NATO Warship HMCS Fredericton intercepts suspected pirates in the Gulf of Aden                       

Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship HMCS Fredericton intercepted a suspected pirate skiff today while conducting counter piracy patrols as part of NATO Operation OCEAN SHIELD in the Gulf of Aden. At 07:44 a.m. local time (10:44 p.m. EST), HMCS Fredericton received reports from her helicopter during aerial patrols in the International Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) that they had spotted a small skiff loitering beside the shipping corridor approximately 45 nautical miles away from the ship.

Press Release

27 Jan 10

Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister visit to NATO and EU

MCC Northwood today hosted a short visit by the Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Poroshenko. He was accompanied by Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr.Kostiantyn Yelisieiev,the Defence Attaché Col. Kyryliuk and Secretary Nikitov.During their visit they were given briefings on counter piracy by NATO’s Deputy Chief of Staff Operations, Cdre Hans Helseth (NOR N) and the EU’s Deputy Commander EU Naval Force Rear Admiral Bartolomé Bauzá.
At the end of the visit, Minister Poroshenko thanked both organisations for their help and cooperation following the release of the vessel MV Ariana, who have a Ukrainian crew. View Pictures

26 Jan 10

Visit of French Chief of Defence Staff

General Jean-Louis Georgelin, the French Chief of Defence Staff visited MCC Northwood this morning. During his visit he received briefings on NATO’s naval and maritime challenges and on NATO’s counter piracy mission, Operation Ocean Shield. France resumed its position as a full member of NATO in April 2009. This was Gen. Georgelin’s first visit to Northwood and gave him the opportunity to meet the French officers working there.

25 Jan 10

The Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG1) operational Handover in
Muscat

The Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG1) operational handover took place this afternoon in Muscat (Oman), where the outgoing Commander, Rear Admiral Pereira da Cunha, Portuguese Navy handed over Command to Commodore Christian Rune, Royal Danish Navy. Today’s handover also marked the change of command for NATO’s counter piracy operation Ocean Shield from Portugal to Denmark.
Press Release / View Pictures

19 Jan 10

Polish Navy makes history with NATO group

19 Jan 10

NATO meeting with Puntland Coastguard

Admiral Pereira da Cunha, Commander Standing NATO Maritime Group 1, hosted a meeting focused on piracy on board the Portuguese Flagship NRP Alvares Cabral with two Puntland Coastguard officers near Bosaso harbour, Somalia. The meeting was focused on human intelligence gathering, capacity building and counter piracy cooperation between NATO and Puntland authorities.

Full Story

18 Jan 10

Successful refuelling at sea

This weekend saw the first successful refuelling operation between a

Saudi tanker, RSNF KSAS Yunbou and the NATO ship, HMCS Fredericton. The Fredericton is currently part of NATO's Counter Piracy mission, Operation Ocean Shield in the Gulf of Aden. This refuelling is an excellent example of the co-operation and coordination that NATO has with non-NATO countries in the Gulf of Aden. As well as NATO, the EU, the Coalition Maritime Force and other countries such as Saudi Arabia, India and China are in the Gulf of Aden to deter and disrupt pirate activity.

15 Jan 10

MCC Training Seminar in Toulon

During 13-14 Jan CC-Mar HQ Northwood conducted the NRF 15 MCC Training Seminar in Toulon (France), to this end a delegation leaded by Cdre Helseth (Seminar Director) moved to FRMARFOR HQ facilities.
CC-Mar HQ Northwood has the lead in the development and the conduct of the MCC Training Seminar for the upcoming NRF Maritime Component command.

Full Story

15 Jan 10

Deputy Assistant Secretary General visits Northwood HQ

Ambassador Lawrence Rossin, Deputy Assistant Secretary General visited NATO’s Northwood HQ on Friday 15th January accompanied by Capt. Peter Kortenoeven of NATO’s International Military Staff. They received briefings on NATO’s counter piracy mission Operation Ocean Shield. Ambassador Rossin also took the opportunity to discuss the way forward and progress of the mission with Northwood’s staff.

11 Jan 10

CTF 508 visit Chinese Frigate FFG Chao Hu during NATO Flagship visit to Salalah, Oman

Rear Admiral Jose Domingos Pereira da Cunha, Commander SNMG1 visited the Chinese frigate FFG Chao Hu on 11 January 2010 during a NATO port visit to Salalah, Oman. The meeting focused on cooperation between NATO and the Chinese Navy in the international efforts to tackle piracy off he coast of Somalia.The NATO flagship, NRP Alvares Cabral has been in the Gulf of Aden since November 2009 as part of NATO’s counter piracy mission, Operation Ocean Shield. As well as the Portuguese flagship, there are ships from Canada, HMCS Fredericton and the USA USS Donald Cook.

                                         View Pictures