On Wednesday 12 August Operation Atalanta flagship, ESPS Galicia, hosted the Spanish Ambassador to Oman during a port visit to Muscat.  The Force Commander, Rear Admiral Alfonso Fernández Gómez de Córdoba, welcomed His Excellency Mr Juan José Urtasun on board.

During a port visit to Muscat, the European Union Flagship, Spanish Warship “Galicia” strengthened ties with the Combined Counter-Piracy task Force 151 represented by the Pakistani Warship “Aslat”.

On the 12^th August 2015, the ESPS “Galicia” arrived to the port of Muscat after a Counter piracy patrol off the East coast of Somalia of 10 days.

So as to seize the opportunity that, both the Operation Atalanta flagship and the Pakistani Warship moored in the port of Muscat, a meeting on board the Spanish Warship was held to coordinate efforts against piracy activity.

On August 9^th Spanish Warship “Meteoro” (P‐41) left her home base in Canary Islands in her first phase of integration on EU Operation Atalanta under EUROMARFOR Flag.

The Colombian Warship “7 de Agosto” will joined the Operation Atalanta as Associated support last 8th of August. During her time on the Operation, she will monitor and protect the vulnerable shipping, the vessels of the World Food Program and the African Mission in Somalia. She will also collaborate in deterring and disrupting any piracy activity in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden.

During the 7th August the Puntland Maritime Police Force performed a rescue to the Yemeni fishing vessel “Al Amal”, stranded off the east coast of Somalia, near to the small village Eyl.

The Force Headquarters on board ESPS “Galicia” received early in the morning of the 5th August the information coming from a South Korean Warship, belonging to the Combined Task Force 151. Right after receiving this information, the Battle Watch Captain of the Force Headquarters was phoned by the Yemeni fishing vessel’s master.

Taking advantage of the Maritime Patrol Aircraft flight scheduled for the morning of the 5th, the Force Headquarters tasked the Spanish Airplane “Barbo” to fly over the area and to check the situation of the fishing vessel “Al Amal”.

Rapidly, the Force Headquarters reacted and coordinated the rescue with the local authorities of Puntland. The continuously interaction with the Puntland Maritime Police Force permitted the Force Headquarters to be uninterruptedly updated over the course of events.

On Sunday 2 August 2015, the Commanding Officer of ESPS Galicia, Captain Rafael Fernandez-Pintado, met officers from the Royal Navy of Oman during the Spanish warship’s port visit to Salalah.

On 31 July 2015, Operation Atalanta flagship, ESPS Galicia, sailed into the port of Salalah to resupply the Spanish warship with food and stores.  During the visit, Force Commander, Rear Admiral Alfonso Fernández Gómez de Córdoba, took the opportunity to invite on board the commanding officer of INS Sunayna, Commander Sarvpreet Singh, as the Indian warship was also berthed in the Omani port.

The curriculum of the new ALFLOT and new COMEUROMARFOR.

On the 29^th July 2015, Admiral D. Francisco Javier Franco Suanzes assumed the duty of Chief of Spanish Fleet (Almirante de la Flota - ALFLOT) and COMEUROMARFOR (Operational Commander of EUROMARFOR).

One of the core tasks of European Union Warships in Somalia for the Operation Atalanta is the protection of World Food Program (WFP) vessels delivering aid to Somalia. This particular escort of a WFP chartered vessel was conducted by the European flagship ESPS “Galicia”.

On Monday 27 July 2015, the Operation Commander of the EU Naval Force, Major General (MBE) Martin Smith, visited the Operation Atalanta flagship, ESPS Galicia.

On the 25th July 2015 the Chief of the Djiboutian Navy visited the Spanish Warship “Galicia” at sea in the vicinity of Djibouti. The Colonel Abdourahman Aden Cher was welcomed on board by the Force Commander Rear Admiral Alfonso Gómez Fernández de Córdoba and the ESPS “Galicia’s” Commanding Officer, Captain Rafael Fernández-Pintado Muñoz-Rojas.

The best pictures of the fly operations of the day.

The Spanish Warship "Galicia" has reached the half way point in her deployment with the European Union’s counter piracy operation off the coast of Somalia. Galicia took over from Dutch warship, HNLS “Johan De Witt”, as the Operation Atalanta flagship on 6 May 2015.

Sailors looking for foreign object debris (FOD). FOD is any loose object which can be moved through the air during flight operations. Even small pebbles the size of peas can cause great damage.

"FOD is the responsibility of all hands," every sailor will say it. "FOD can be one of the most dangerous things on the flight deck or in the hangar bay."

A piece of FOD ingested into an engine can cause engine failure and possibly the loss of the helicopter or the aircrew. Additionally, propellers, rotors and engines can blow the FOD through the air, something which can injure Sailors.

The Colombian Warship “7 de Agosto” will shortly join the Counter Piracy operation of the European Union off the coast of Somalia, the Operation Atalanta as associated support. The arrival of the American Warship is attended the next 9th August 2015 and will remain until the 11 September.

So as to get prepared for the Operation Atalanta, the Colombian Warship has made a week long stop on the Spanish Naval Base of Rota in the Southwest of Spain. The Spanish Navy will guide the Colombian Navy in general and the Warship “7 de Agosto” in this particular case for the Counter Piracy fight off the coast of Somalia.

Picture of the day: All with the same objective, the shooter and the photographer: the end of piracy activity.

Author: Ursua Javier

On 16th July 2015, with the purpose of the Spanish Navy Day, many different activities were held on board the European Union Flagship (and EUROMARFOR flagship). The 16th July is the most important day in the Spanish Navy and is strongly celebrated everywhere in the Navy.

On 15th July 2015, the Force Headquarters of the Operation Atalanta relieved the Combined Task Force 151 in the fight against piracy activity at sea. The Operation Atalanta will lead the important task of Counter-Piracy coordination among the three big military coalitions in the Indian Ocean region until the next 15th January 2016.

On board European Union Flagship ESPS “Galicia”, the young dentist, Lieutenant Luis Megino Blasco and his sanitary sailor Glenis Olarte Escobar, provide assistance to the crewmembers and all the Somali seafarers in need of dentistry assistance.