MPA from Luxemburg?

[Rockville]

Today I saw the press release below. My attention was drawn at the mentioning of a Luxemburg MPA.
To my humble knowledge the only military aircraft registered there are the AWACS & 1 "training aircraft".
Is there anyone with more detailed info/knowledge?

TIA.
Lex

Navy storms Somali pirate mothership

French commandos have stormed aboard a Somali pirate 'mothership' and arrested 12 gunmen, the military announced, adding that the gangs are increasingly operating in the deep waters of the Indian Ocean.

Tipped off by spotters on a Luxembourg maritime reconnaissance plane, the French frigate Floreal intercepted a dhow towing two motorised skiffs 500 nautical miles north-west of the Seychelles on Thursday (local time).

A helicopter from the warship fired a warning shot across the vessel's bows as its crew began to throw incriminating material over the side.

French troops boarded the ship and arrested the pirates without violence.

On board they found grappling hooks, GPS navigation devices and assault rifles, French military spokesman Admiral Christophe Prazuck said.

"Last year or at the start of this one the centre of gravity was in the Gulf of Aden," Admiral Prazuck said, referring to the straits between Arabia and the Horn of Africa that have become notorious for pirate attacks.

"The European team in place has significantly reduced the number of boats taken hostage. Though they still threaten the Gulf of Aden, the pirates have switched their activity further offshore into the Indian Ocean."

Admiral Prazuck said pirates were now striking in areas up to 800 nautical miles from their bases on the coast of Somalia, a lawless and largely ungoverned African state plagued by faction-fighting.

Several naval task forces now carry out anti-piracy patrols, including flotillas commanded by the European Union, NATO and the United States.

Floreal is fighting under EU colours as part of Operation Atalante.

(Bron: AFP + ABC Net (Australië), 13 november 2009)

[flying_kiwi]

Probably an AWACS I'd guess. They do have the ability to track larger targets at sea I believe.

Yorden

[Padidiver]

The Luxembourg government had a Metro IV with regi LX-NRJ Based on Malta on Luqa which was there for monitoring the EU border (read refugees from Africa in general). It had a flir system.
Seen it and pictured it when I visited the Malta Air Wing september 2008

Pieter

[Rockville]

Many thanks for the reply.

[JetStar2]

also, the Maltese Air Force CASA Aviocar was operated with Luxembourgish crew during the last few months.

Peter

[Pete]

The Luxembourg government had a Metro IV with regi LX-NRJ Based on Malta on Luqa which was there for monitoring the EU border (read refugees from Africa in general). It had a flir system.
Seen it and pictured it when I visited the Malta Air Wing september 2008

Pieter

I don't know if this aircraft is Luxembourg government, to my knowledge it belongs to CAE Aviation, a civil company specialised in air to ground surveillance an reconnaissance intelligence suveillance. aka AGSR-ISR.

Regards Pete

[Padidiver]

Maybe the plane isn't owned by them but on a lease? Maybe the project was out sourced? Who knows.
What I recall is this: The pilot who showed us around told us that there was an on going EU mission from Malta to monitor the outer EU border and that member states had to take turns. Apparently it was Luxembourg turn. The months before Germany's Bundesgrenzschutz (Did I write that correct?) was around with a Puma. So who ever did the project it was on behalf of the Luxembourg government.
Didn't pay to much attention at it at the time I was there for the Maltese Air wing.

For those of you interested here is a picture:
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/communit ... 25b82b142a" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Pieter