FGS Hessen Talks Piracy Challenges with Iranian Seafarers

Crewmembers of the German Navy ship FGS Hessen, attached to EU Naval Force Operation Atalanta, boarded three Iranian flagged dhows in the Gulf of Aden last week.

FGS Hessen detected the three dhows drifting in the waters and contacted them via radio to ask if they needed any assistance.
Crewmembers of the dhows invited the FGS Hessen’s team onboard to talk about piracy in the region. They said that they were happy with the presence of the EU Navfor warships, which made them feel safer at the sea, having in mind their previous experiences.
FGS Hessen joined EU Navfor Operation Atalanta on December 3rd 2013. She is patrolling the seas off the Somali coast ever since.

Naval Today Staff, January 29, 2014; Image: EU Navfor

Specifications
Length	143.0m
Beam	17.44m
Draft	6.0m
Displacement	5.800tons
Speed	29 knots
Complement	230 crew + 13 aircrew
Range	4,000+ nautical miles at 18 kn (7,400+ km at 33 km/h)