One month of deployment in EUNAVFOR MED Op. Sophia for Commandant BLAISON
French Ship Commandant Blaison has been deployed in the mediterranean since 1st May 2017.
She is taking part in CIAT operations as part of the EUNAVFOR MED Task Force.
CIAT is an operation which acts under the UNSCR 2292, agreed on the 14th June 2016.
It is designed to allow the inspection, seizure and diversion of vessels suspected of illegal weapons trafficking en-route to and from Libya.
As a member of the EU Task Force, the Blaison is under the tactical command of the EUNAVFOR MED Force Headquarter, embarked on board the Italian flagship San Giusto, conducting maritime security operations in the region.
In the past few weeks, the Blaison has been on patrol for 22 days, hailing and conducting routine queries of various vessels in the vicinity of the Libyan coast.
These routine queries consist of a friendly approach, followed by, if necessary, a routine visit by the ship boarding team, in order to ascertain and confirm further information. They also discuss local geographical issues as well as operation Sophia. All this information is used to develop and maintain a high level of situational awareness within the Area of Interest.
Commandant Blaison will, this week, have the 4th port visit of her current deployment, having already visited different harbours: Palermo and Catania in Sicilia and Valetta in Malta.
The French ship will remain on patrol in the Eastern Med until the end of June, when she will return to her home port of Brest.
See also: @eu_eeas; @EUNAVFORMED_OHQ; @MarineNationale;