Chain of Command

Operation Commander
The Operation Commander (Op Comd) commands the operation from the Operation Headquarters (OHQ) at Rota, Spain. There he plans and conducts the operation in conjunction with the political and military authorities of the European Union.
VICE ADMIRAL IGNACIO VILLANUEVA SERRANO

Vice Admiral Ignacio Villanueva is a 1987 graduate of the Spanish Naval Academy.

In 1989 he earned his US Navy wings, becoming a Naval Aviator. He then flew the AV-8V PLUS on board the Spanish carrier ‘PRINCIPE DE ASTURIAS.’ During that period, he was also appointed as an exchange pilot with the Spanish Air force, flying the EF-18 A+ and taking part in the B-H conflict, where he flew several combat missions deployed from Aviano AB, Italy.

He has commanded the gun patrol boat ‘P-11 BARCELO’, the high seas patrol boat ‘P-63 ARNOMENDI’, the LST ‘L-42 PIZARRO’, the Fleet Air Arm ‘FLOAN’ and the Airfield of the Rota Naval Base. He was the Director of the Fleet Naval Aviation School and the CO of the 9th HARRIER Squadron. Ashore, he has served in a variety of assignments, most notably as a staff officer in the International Relations Department at the Navy HQ, as ACOS N3 in the SPMARFOR High Readiness Maritime HQ, and as Head of the Operations department at the Spanish Fleet HQ. Abroad he was stationed in Mons, Belgium, serving at SHAPE J5 as the ACO capability requirements and force planning officer; and in Pristina, Kosovo, working as UN peace observer and liaison officer between KFOR HQ and UNMIK HQ.

Additionally, he has attended several national and NATO courses including the NATO perational Planning, NATO Staff Officer Defense Planning and NATO expeditionary operations courses. He graduated with distinction from the US Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island, after having completed the Naval Staff and the Naval Command Courses in years 2001 and 2018 respectively. He also obtained a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the same US Naval War College. His academic background is completed with a job as a professor at the High Defense Studies Center in Madrid, Spain.

He was promoted to Rear Admiral on the 5th December 2019. As Flag Officer he has been appointed as 2nd Commander of the Spanish High Readiness Maritime HQ and DCOM SPMARFOR. He was appointed as Force Commander of the EU NAVFOR Somalia Op Atalanta on board the frigates NUMANCIA and SANTA MARIA. On 26 February 2021 he was appointed as COS Spanish Fleet HQ, being promoted to Vice Admiral on 3 November.

He has several national Navy medals, one UN medal, one UE medal, one NATO medal and one SPAF medal, and numerous awards and citations.

He is married to Matilde and has four children.

Deputy Operation Commander
The Deputy Operation Commander (DCom) exercises command in absence of the Operation Commander.
REAR ADMIRAL PAOLO FANTONI

Rear Admiral Paolo FANTONI assumed the role of Deputy Commander since last 7 July 2025.

Completed the high school in the Naval College Francesco MOROSINI in Venice, he joined the Navy active service attending the regular courses in the Naval Academy in 1983. He was qualified Telecommunication and Combat Information Operations officer. During his career he attended the Naval Warfare College and to the Defence Warfare College. He has a degree in Physics and one in Maritime and Navigational Science.

He was Commanding Officer of Minehunter GAETA, OPV Comandante FOSCARI and Amphibious Ship SAN GIUSTO, that under his Command was the flag ship of the 12th rotation in the EU counter-piracy Operation ATALANTA. In December 2019, with the rank of Rear Admiral, he assumed Command of the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (COM SNMG2) for over 6 months.

During his career, he served on board of Sailing School Ship VESPUCCI, Frigates ALPINO and MAESTRALE and Destroyer DURAND DE LA PENNE. As Staff Officer, he was assigned to the Command in Chief of Italian Fleet (CINCNAV) for three times in the Training Department as Combat Information Operation and Electronic Warfare officer, Chief of Plans Division and finally Assistant of the Commander in Chief. In NATO, Rear Admiral Fantoni was the Exercise Branch Head Exercise of Joint Deployable Command Lisbon. Afloat he served as Chief of Staff of the Second Naval Group in Taranto and Chief of Staff of EUNAVFOR MED Force HQs.

 

In the international environment Rear Admiral Fantoni represented the Italian MOD as Defence Attaché at the Italian Embassy in Tunis and finally in 2023 he was the National Point of Contact (NPOC) Chairmanship of the Maritime Theatre Missile Defence Forum.

 

RADM Paolo FANTONI is decorated, amongst the others, of the following medals:

  • Long service meritorious medal in the Italian Armed Forces;
  • Order of Merit of the Italian Republic;
  • Order of Merit of the Tunisian Republic;
  • NATO Service Meritorious Medal;
  • Ex-Yugoslavia and Kosovo Crisis Response Operations, ATALANTA and SOPHIA Operations.

He enjoys spending his free time playing golf and taking care of his two Italian classic cars. He is married and has a daughter.

 

Force Commander
The Force Commander (FCdr) exercises command and control of all military forces in the area of operation.
Rear Admiral Francisco Javier Vázquez Sanz

Rear Admiral Francisco Javier Vázquez Sanz is a 1992 graduate of the Spanish Naval Academy.

He has commanded the gun patrol boat "LAYA", mine hunter "TAMBRE", frigate "NAVARRA" and the Specialist Navy School "LA GRAÑA". In these commands, he participated in diverse operations as "Active Endeavor STROG", an SNMCMG2 deployment, and the command of the NATO TG in a SURGE OPS in the Mediterranean as part of the "Active Endeavor" effort.

On board, he has served in a variety of assignments as the frigates "NUMANCIA" and "REINA SOFIA", amphibious as "PIZARRO", "HERNAN CORTES" and "CASTILLA". In his role of Tactical Action Officer, CIS and ASW SEAHWAK controller, he has participated in up to four NATO Standing Naval Forces deployments and two EUROMARFOR tours, and operations as "Sharp Guard", "Active Endeavor" or "Alba ops" in Albania.

Ashore, he served also in different assignments, most notably as a staff officer in the Joint Operation Command, as J6 leader, with responsibilities in terms of C2 and CIS connectivity, and in the Logistic Branch HQ as leader of the logistic advisory group. In July 2022 he was appointed as Navy HQ, to lead the Armada Digital Transformation.

Abroad he was stationed in Mons, Belgium, serving at SHAPE-PLANS as the ACO capability requirements and force planning officer; and in Tampa, USA, assigned as national liaison officer in the USCENTCOM.

Additionally, he has attended several national and NATO courses including the NATO INFOOPS and the NATO Staff Officer Defense Planning. He's a CIS specialist, Tactical Action Officer and ASW helo controller. He graduated in the Joint Staff War College in 2006.

He was promoted to Rear Admiral in February 2025.

From February to May 2025, he was posted as Operation ATALANTA Deputy Commander.

He has several national, EU and NATO medals, and numerous awards and citations as the SACEUR's Commendation Award.

Born in Cartagena (SPAIN) in 1967, he is married to LtCdr Mónica Cuervo and has two children.