EU Naval Force - Somalia
Operation ATALANTA

In the evening of December 6th approximately 250 nautical miles North West of Victoria Seychelles a pirate attack group was neutralized by EU NAVFOR and the Seychellois Coast Guard.

On December 5th an EU NAVFOR Maritime Patrol Aircraft, stationed at the Seychelles, located a suspected Pirate Attack Group with one mother skiff and two attack skiffs. EU NAVFOR French warship FS Floreal was tasked to close the group and the Seychellois Coast Guard also responded to the request by sending their patrol vessel Topaz.

At first light, EU NAVFOR Maritime Patrol Aircraft relocated the suspected Pirated Attack Group and directed both vessels to that position. On arrival of the Coast Guard vessel, the helicopter of FS Floreal assisted the Topaz crew with the intercept and securing the area. Eleven suspected pirates were arrested by the Seychellois Coast Guard and all pirate related paraphernalia was seized; two attack skiffs were destroyed.

FS Floreal and the Maritime Patrol Aircraft take part in the EUNAVFOR mission Operation ATALANTA. The main tasks of Operation ATALANTA are to escort merchant vessels carrying food of the ‘World Food Program’ (WFP), the protection of vulnerable ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean and to deter and disrupt piracy.