KNM Fridtjof Nansen fighting off pirates in the Red Sea

The Spanish-built 5,100 tonne KNM Fridtjof Nansen is named after a famous Norwegian explorer.

On Aug. 1, the Norwegian frigate KNM Fridtjof Nansen left Bergen, on the west coast of Norway, for the Red Sea. The naval ship joined the anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia on Aug. 14.

Pirate activity outside the Somalian coast is a considerable threat to the supply of humanitarian support to Somalia as well as to international shipping.

For six months the vessel from Norway is going to contribute in the EU- operated mission NAVFOR Atalanta. The mission also includes naval vessels and Maritime Patrol Aircrafts (MPA) from Greece, UK, France, Spain, Italy and Germany.

The KNM Fridtjof Nansen, with a crew of 120, can operate in the waters for 30 days straight without refueling and collecting new provisions.

On Wednesday (Aug. 26) KNM Fridtjof Nansen prevented an Italian ship of being hijacked. This past weekend they stopped and boarded a suspicious vessel, and found weapons, ladders and boarding equipment. Seven men, suspected of being pirates were questioned, but later set free.

TV2 is the only broadcasting media onboard the Norwegian Ship. You can follow the “hunt for the pirates” here