European Union and United Nations Carry out Maritime Capacity Building Training with Somaliland Coastguard and host a Joint Maritime Security Seminar in Berbera Port On Board Operation Atalanta Flagship Tromp

On Saturday 3 December EU NAVFOR sailors, supported by staff from EUCAP Nestor, carried out radar training on board the Spanish offshore patrol vessel, ESPS Relampago, in Berbera Bay, as a precursor to an engagement the following day on board EU NAVFOR flagship, HNLMS Tromp. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) assisted the EU in preparing for the radar training.

Operation Atalanta Force Commander Bids Farewell to Spanish Sailors Aboard ESPS Relámpago

As the Operation Atalanta flagship, HNLMS Tromp, and her embarked Force Headquarters staff prepare to leave the EU counter-piracy operation and return to The Netherlands, the Force Commander made a final trip to ESPS Relámpago to bid farewell to Spanish colleagues.

Operation Atalanta Spanish Warship ESPS Relampago Conducts Maritime Training with Somaliland Coastguard Close to Port of Berbera

On Saturday 3 December ESPS Relampago conducted maritime training with members of the Somaliland Coastguard. The training included radar and Search and Rescue (SAR) training.

Dutch Flagship HNLMS Tromp Heads for Home after Successful Counter-Piracy Deployment with Operation Atalanta off Coast of Somalia

On Tuesday 6 December Dutch flagship HNLMS Tromp started her long journey back to her home port of Den Helder in the Netherlands after completing a four month deployment with the European Union’s counter-piracy operation, Atalanta off the coast of Somalia.

Operation Atalanta Spanish Maritime Patrol Aircraft and Warship ESPS Relampago Work with Japanese Aircrew to Rescue Two Men from Upturned Skiffs in Gulf of Aden

On Tuesday 6 December 2016 Spanish sailors from EU NAVFOR warship, ESPS Relampago, rescued two men at sea after they become stranded on two upturned skiffs twenty four miles north of the island of Socotra in the Gulf of Aden.

Spanish Maritime Patrol Aircraft Contingents Hold Handover Ceremony in Djibouti

On Friday 25 November 2016, the Spanish Orion Air Contingent XXVI, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Juan Ferrero Barberán, completed a successful four month deployment with Operation Atalanta. Detachment XXVII will be commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Manuel Arozamena Sanz.

Rear Admiral González-Aller Visits Spanish Maritime Air Orion Detachment in Djibouti

On Monday 5 December 2016, Operation Atalanta’s Deputy Commander, Rear Admiral Cristóbal González-Aller Lacalle, visited the Spanish Orion Air Contingent XXVII, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Manuel Arozamena Sanz.

European Union Marks Eight Years of Counter-Piracy Commitment to Protect World Food Programme Vessels and Deter Pirate Attacks off Coast of Somalia, but Warns No Room for Complacency

This week the European Union is marking eight years since it launched its first ever maritime military operation, EU NAVFOR Somalia – Operation Atalanta, in response to a surge in armed pirate attacks on merchant ships and other vessels in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean.

EU Naval Force Ensures World Food Programme Vessels Carrying Humanitarian Aid for Somali People Remain Safe at Sea

One of the key roles for the EU Naval Force is to ensure that World Food Programme (WFP) vessels that have to sail close to the coast of Somalia in order to deliver humanitarian aid to the Somali people, arrive safely in port.  And during the past few weeks, EU Naval Force’s Croatian maritime security team has been doing just that.  Embarked 24/7, these highly trained soldiers have being maintaining a constant watch at sea to ensure that WFP vessel, MSM Douro, remains safe.