Following a visit to a Luxembourg Army contingent in Lithuania last Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense Étienne Schneider travelled to Italy yesterday to visit the operation headquarters (OHQ) of the EUNAVFOR MED Operation in Rome.
Launched by the European Union, the Operation aims to combat human trafficking networks in the Mediterranean. Luxembourg has been involved in the programme since July 2015 with its contribution of maritime air surveillance through a public-private partnersip with the Grand-Ducal CAE Aviation company now specialising in aerial reconnaissance.
The EUNAVFOR MED Operation was recently renamed Sophia after a little girl born on one of the operation's ships following a refugee rescue operation in August 2015.
In Rome, Étienne Schneider was hosted by the Commander of the OHQ, Italian Admiral Enrico Credendino, who in a confidential briefing consulted the Defence Minister on the state of the Operation.
The first phase of the mission was focused on monitoring and the evaluation of smuggling and human trafficking networks in the southern part of the Mediterranean. Phase 2 of operations, increased since 7 October, has involved the search and occasional diversion of ships and vessels suspected of being employed for the smuggling of migrants and human trafficking.
"The Luxembourg maritime patrol aircraft was the first permanently assigned to the operation," commented Étienne Schneider, following a visit to the CAE Aviation Detachment at the Sigonella naval airforce base in Sicily holding a base of both the US Army and the Italian Air Force. "It alone performs two thirds of EUNAVFOR MED surveillance missions. This has helped to identify ships that have transported a total of around 3,600 refugees. This Luxembourgish contribution is essential for the implementation of both phases of the Sophia operation. The service contract with CAE Aviation provides at least 60 flying hours per month for a period of one year. Its duration is aligned with the mandate of Operation Sophia which will extend into at least July 2016".
Photos by SIP / Deflorenne (Top L-R: Luc Audoore, Deputy General Manager of CAE Aviation and Head of ISR operations; Étiene Schneider, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence; Colonel Federico Fedele, Commander of Naval Air Station Sigonella. Bottom L-R: Robert Groen, Imagery Intelligence Analyst ; William Mattley, Systems Operator; Andre Julien, pilot; François Kluckmann , pilot; Étienne Schneider, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence; Claudia Dall'Agnol, MP ; Jean-Marie Halsdorf, MP ; Luc Audoore , Deputy General Manager of the company CAE Aviation and Head of ISR operations; Marc Angel, Chairman of the Committee on Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Cooperation and Immigration; Gusty Graas, MP)
