During recent counter-piracy patrols off the coast of Somalia, Operation “Atalanta” warship ESPS “Galicia” conducted a Replenishment at Sea (RAS) with French Navy ship, FS “Var”, which is currently deployed as part of the Combined Maritime Forces in the region.

This encounter at sea between the two Naval Warfare Ships is the second one since the incorporation of the Flagship ESPS “Galicia” to the Operation “Atalanta” in Somalia.

Despite the adverse weather conditions, the EUROMARFOR Force Commander visited the CTF-150 Flagship “Var”. There was also an exchange among the crewmembers so as to exchange some points of view of the counter-piracy patrols performed the two warships.

The Commander of the CTF-150, Captain Crignola, welcomed on board the EUNAVFOR Force Commander (and COMGRUEUROMARFOR), Admiral Alfonso Gómez and showed him some of their last operations with a brief presentation.

CCTF-150 (Commander Combined Task Force) recognized the success of the Operation “Atalanta” in suppressing piracy and commented that piracy is fractured, but still not broken, and the mutual collaboration between all the coalition forces in the Indian Ocean is truly important.

Rear Admiral Gómez Fernández de Córdoba thanked all the work done by the CTF-150 and expressed his intention to collaborate with the CTF-150 units maintaining the same low level of piracy activity in the last years.

Combined Task Force 150 (CTF-150) is one of three task forces of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). Its mission is to promote maritime security in order to counter terrorist acts and related illegal activities, which terrorists use to fund or conceal their movements.

During the RAS, which is a highly specialized manoeuver that requires ships to sail very close to each other to enable fuel to be passed across via hoses, other exercises such as Ship Control Approach and a Vertical Onboard Delivery (VOD) between the FS “Var” and the ESP Helicopter SH-3D C/S “Morsa” were carried out trying to increase the readiness level of the two units

These collaborations between two Multinational Task Forces show the strong commitment of the international warships coalitions to solve the main problem at sea in this region: the piracy activity.