During the morning of 19th December, EUROMARFOR warship ESPS Rayo (unit of EU Naval Force) and the South Korean destroyer ROKS Daejoyeong met at sea to to enhance the relationship between EU Naval Force warships and those of other task forces operating in the area.
ROKS Daejoyeong, whose main task is to escort convoys and to counter piracy in the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor, is operating both as part of The Republic of Korean Navy Escort Task Group and the Combined Maritime Forces Task Force 151.
Having rendezvoused at sea, meetings were held onboard both ships; ESPS Rayo received a South Korean delegation which included the Commanding Officer (CO) of ROKS Daejoyeong, Captain Hwang Sun-Woo, who is also the CO of the Korean Task Group 17. Visits such as this are an opportunity to strengthen cooperation and coordination in the fight against piracy.
After a light lunch in each wardroom, the delegations returned to their respective ships by helicopter and commenced a manoeuvering exercise together, during which both ships coordinated changes of course and speed. After more than three hours of manoeuvres, the ships finished the meeting with a traditional ‘sail past’ before resuming their counter-piracy patrols.
