EU force to tackle Somali pirates with new communication system

System will enable various vessels that collectively operate under EU anti-piracy initiative to work better together

Royal Navy ships lead the EU force

A Royal Navy-led EU taskforce set up to tackle Somali pirates is using a new communication system to share information.

The system will enable the various vessels that collectively operate under the EU Navfor anti-piracy initiative to exchange information securely in real time.

The fleet will protect EU and Nato vessels delivering aid to Somalia and other African countries.

Ships from different nations usually operate on secure and private wavelengths, but need to collaborate to tackle the pirates in what is known as Operation Atalanta.

The system – from vendor Polymorph – allows document and data sharing as well as secure radio communications.

“We handle sensitive information and needed a secure and fully integrated solution that would help us not only establish better communication between the various international military vessels present in the Horn of Africa, but also gain control over these increasingly complex and disturbing instances," said a spokesperson from EU Navfor.