On Monday 13 January the Serbian Autonomous Vessel Protection Detachment (AVPD), which is currently operating as part of the European Union Naval Force providing close protection to the World Food Programme (WFP) aid ship, MV Caroline Scan, carried out a firing exercise on board.
The exercise, which took place as MV Caroline Scan was enroute from Bossasso to Djibouti, having just delivered humanitarian aid to the Somali people, was a good opportunity for the Serbian protection forces to maintain their gunnery skills at peak levels and importantly, verify their firing accuracy.
The Serbian forces took over AVPD counter piracy duties from Lithuanian forces on 1 December 2013 and will be embarked in MV Caroline Scan for four months.
Since the European Union Naval Force began providing protection to WFP ships, not one has been attacked by pirates, and over 870 000 metric tonnes of much-needed food aid has been safely delivered to the Somali people.
[mappress]
EU NAVFOR, January 16, 2014