Operation Atalanta’s new Autonomous Vessel Protection Detachment (AVPD) has arrived in Djibouti to take over the protection of World Food Programme (WFP) vessel, MSM Douro.
The highly-trained team from Serbia was welcomed to the EU’s counter-piracy operation by the Force Commander, Rear Admiral Kaack. The AVPD will embark on MSM Douro and will provide around the clock protection to the ship as it transports vital WFP food-aid to Somalia.
In providing the AVPD, Serbia contributes to the EU Naval Force’s fight against piracy off the coast of Somalia. Operation Atalanta is a multi-national mission that has helped to strengthen maritime security in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean since 2008.