Chief Petty Officer L'Her embarks on Sophia
(B2) The French high seas patrol boat Premier L'Her (F-792), has been integrated into the European maritime operation in the central Mediterranean, off the coast of Libya (EUNAVFOR Med / Sophia) since the 1st november.
With a crew of 98 sailors, and a boarding party of 20 members, she is particularly sharp for surveillance and protection missions. Its objective is to ensure respect and application of UN resolution 2292 on the embargo on arms trafficking to or from Libya [and] fight against human trafficking linked to immigration clandestine from these coasts confirms a press release from the French Navy.
During its rallying phase towards the area of operation, the Brest patrol boat " found her Toulon sisterships, the patrol boats Cdt Bouan and Cdt Ducuing. The three buildings then carried out mutual training ».
Six ships and four planes
The EUNAVFOR MED / SOPHIA operation now has six surface ships:
- the Spanish supply ship Cantabria (A-15), which is the flagship
- the german frigate Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (F-218) (read: The mission of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: to collect information)
- the italian frigate Zephyr (F-577)
- the British oceanographic ship Hms echo (H-87) (read: HMS Echo returns in Operation Sophia)
- the irish patrol boat LE Niamh (P-52) (read: LÉ Niamh joins Sophia. A first for Ireland)
- and French Chief Petty Officer Her (F-792)
two on-board helicopters (a Spanish AB-212 and an Italian AB 212 ASW)
and four planes:
- two Luxembourg SW3 Merlin III aircraft
- a Portuguese P-3C Orion
- a Spanish Casa CN-235 Vigma D4
