Until now, the European Union’s counter-piracy operation off the coast of Somalia reached a very impressive milestone.  Codenamed ‘Operation Atalanta’, since it was launched by the EU in December 2008, EU Naval Force warships and maritime protection teams embarked in WFP ships, have successfully protected one million tonnes of World Food Programme (WFP) aid from potential pirate attack.

EUROMARFOR ships (from France, Italy, Portugal and Spain) under the operational command of EUNAVFOR were the main contributers to this mission.

Spanish Navy frigate ESPS Victoria, integrated into the counter-piracy operation Atalanta in the Indian Ocean, assisted a fishing boat off the coast of Somalia on November 29.

On Saturday 28 November 2015, Operation Atalanta warship ESPS Victoria, integrated in EUROMARFOR Task Group, welcomed local Somali Leaders on board.

On Friday 27 November 2015, EUROMARFOR flagship, ITS Carabiniere, conducted a joint counter-piracy patrol with the French Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRA) off the Somali Coast.

On Monday 23 November 2015, Operation Atalanta’s German Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPRA) provided vital support at sea to the flagship, ITS Carabiniere.

On Friday 20 November 2015, MV Kestrel, hosted seven Somali fishermen. The fishermen, who were accompanied by a Somali official, had been invited on board to witness the deployment of fish aggregating devices (FADs), which are currently being placed along the Somali coastline by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (UN FAO) to help increase the daily catches of local fishermen at sea.

EUROMARFOR participated in the 11th annual meeting of the V-RMTC & T-RMN ( Virtual Regional Maritime Traffic Centre & Trans-Regional Maritime Network) communities that took place in Rome on the days 17th and 18th of November, 2015. 

On Wednesday 18 November the Operation Atalanta flagship, ITS Carabiniere, and German Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRA) met at sea as they conducted counter-piracy patrols off the Somali coast.

The Politico-Military Working Group (POLMIL WG) met at Madrid on the 18th November, 2015.

On Monday 16 November, EU Naval Force warship, HNLMS Groningen, handed over the protection of UN FAO vessel, MV Comarco Kestrel, to ITS Carabiniere.

Spanish Navy’s ESPS Meteoro, integrated in EUROMARFOR Task Group, started her journey home to Spain after completing a three-month deployment with Operation Atalanta off the coast of Somalia On Sunday 15 November 2015.

On Saturday 14 November 2015, ITS Carabiniere rendezvoused with World Food Programme (WFP) vessel, MV Douro, as it sailed along the Somali coastline on its way to deliver humanitarian aid to the people of Somalia.

Operation Atalanta Warships Conduct Replenishment at Sea with US Navy Ship

President Mattarella visited ITS Carabiniere in Muscat

After more than 4 months in Operation Atalanata under EUROMARFOR flag, Italian Navy ship Libeccio returns to the home base.

Operation Atalanta Flagship ITS Carabiniere Conducts Diving Exercise with Royal Navy of Oman.

On Saturday 7 November 2015, Spanish warship, ESPS Victoria, carried out counter-piracy training with the Seychelles Air Force.

On Wednesday 4 November 2015, Operation Atalanta’s flagship, ITS Carabiniere, provided food, water and medical assistance to local fishermen off the Somali Coast.

Local Somali leaders were hosted on board Spanish warship, ESPS Victoria on Saturday, October 31 2015.

On Friday 30 October 2015 Operation Atalanta warships, ESPS Meteoro and HNLMS Groningen, carried out training with the Seychelles Air Force, Coast Guard and Marine Police during their port visit to Port Victoria.

On Monday 26 October, 2015, ESPS Victoria received a stores air-drop from the Spanish Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRA), CASA CN-235, based in Djibouti.