EU Naval Force - Somalia
Operation ATALANTA

On 17th May, during the simultaneous port visit in Djibouti, the Commanding Officer of the Chinese frigate MAANSHAN payed a visit to EU NAVFOR warship ESPS SANTA MARIA.

The Chinese frigate MAANSHAN is part of Task Force 526 with her sister ship WENZHOU – the Flag Ship, and the tanker QIANDAOHU. They have been operating in the Gulf of Aden since March, and are due to remain in the area for four months.

The main purpose of the visit was to exchange impressions and ideas about counter piracy and general navy topics. The meeting was conducted in a cordial and frank atmosphere highliting the co-operation and common understanding among different Task Forces operating in the area. The last attack suffered by the Chinese vessel MV FULL CITY which was disrupted by a TF 508 warship on the 5th of May was used as a case study.

EUNAVFOR Somalia – Operation ATALANTA’s main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid of the World Food Program (WFP) and vessels of African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). EUNAVFOR also protects vulnerable vessels in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, deters and disrupts piracy. EUNAVFOR finally monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.