Tasks Performed. Given that the primary task of Operation Atalanta is to counter piracy off the Horn of Africa and in the Western Indian Ocean, intelligence naturally forms an integral part of the operation, to increase the understanding of piracy and its highly adaptable modus operandi. As the number of piracy attacks has gradually dropped, with the last known successful attack in May 2012, and the subsequent need for escorts at sea reduced, intelligence collection closer to the Somali shore has become increasingly important to Operation Atalanta in order to understand how piracy is evolving, adapting and regrouping.242 Accordingly, the EUNAVFOR intelligence branches work to establish a baseline for the situation in different areas and, based on these, make assessments of how piracy is developing. The main task of the MINT was thus to support the FHQ and the CO of HNLMS Xxxxx xx Xxxx by providing related assessments and intelligence.243 As mentioned above, the primary tasks of the Dutch and Swedish enablers during the mission were ISR operations and FOB operations. The MINT, for its part, was instrumental in planning these operations and specifying the information that was to be collected. More specifically, the MINT would receive a task from the FHQ intelligence branch (N2), which it then operationalised into information requirements, images and maps. Depending on these, surveillance and reconnaissance operations were conducted by either the helicopter unit or the LCCT. According to one interviewee, however, the Swedish combat boats mainly relied on Dutch intelligence for their operations while the Swedish intelligence cell mainly supported the flight side.244 After a completed operation the units were debriefed by the MINT and the information collected was 239 Interview 21. 240 Interview 21. 241 Interview 21. 242 Interviews 16, 26 and 40. 243 Interviews 21 and 26. 244 Interview 26. FOI-R--4101--SE analysed and put into different intelligence reports. In cases where the images taken during operations were deemed particularly interesting, a separate intelligence report, a so-called reconnaissance exploitation report, would be produced.245 In the next step the reports were sent for approval to the Dutch officer in charge of the MINT and subsequently delivered to the FHQ as the Xxxxx xx Xxxx’x joint intelligence products.246 The information collected also constituted the foundation for the planning of new surveillance and reconnaissance operations. Initially, according to t...
Tasks Performed. The fact that HNLMS Xxxxx xx Xxxx had two autonomous helicopter systems with different capabilities at its disposal enabled the mission to perform numerous tasks, some of them simultaneously. The main tasks that the helicopter unit carried out were intelligence, sea-surveillance and reconnaissance operations along the Somali coast.220 The standard operational aim during the mission, according to two interviewees working closely with the unit, was to conduct flight operations twice a day, six days a week using both Dutch and Swedish helicopters.221 To coordinate the activities, flight briefs were conducted ahead of each operation between the Principal Warfare Officer (PWO), the Aircraft Coordinator, who directs air-traffic, and the crews. Following operations, the crews were debriefed by the intelligence section in the same way as the LCCT. The Swedish crew was normally debriefed by Swedish intelligence personnel, unless personnel from the Dutch side happened to be present.222
