Since the end of 2008, the French frigate the Floréal has been chasing pirates between Bab el-Mandeb - the Gates of Hell - and the Indian Ocean, escorting ships through perilous waters. Here is a chronicle of a week on the Floréal.
FRANCE 24's Marie-Sophie Joubert is embedded with the French Navy in the Gulf of Aden. Today, her notebook tells the story of Sebastian, a helicopter pilot who looses his mojo when his "bird" is on the ground.
On January 27, the ‘Floréal’ captured nine pirates preparing to hijack a cargo vessel, the African Ruby. FRANCE 24 interviewed Sebastian D, the French Panther B 6452 helicopter pilot who led the arrest.
The French warship 'Le Floréal' has patrolled the Gulf of Aden since December 2008 as part of an effort to combat potential pirate attacks on cargo ships. The ship's captain answered some of FRANCE 24 readers' questions.
Our special correspondent Marie-Sophie Joubert is aboard the Floréal frigate, accompanying a military manhunt for Somali pirates. She finds the casual nature of smoke breaks belie the gravity of the ship's mission.
Our special correspondent Marie-Sophie Joubert is aboard the Floréal frigate, accompanying a military manhunt for Somali pirates. She discovers that Sunday is whenever the commander says it is.
Our special correspondent Marie-Sophie Joubert is aboard the Floréal frigate, accompanying a military manhunt for Somali pirates. Her first day made her nostalgic for her old PE teacher.
Somalia reporter's notebook 
