EU Naval Force - Somalia
Operation ATALANTA

EU NAVFOR / Task Force 465 is reinforced with the Italian frigate Libeccio. She will now serve as a EU NAVFOR warship and solve all kind of tasks in the anti piracy Operation Atalanta until the 30 November.

Libeccio is a frigate of the Maestrale class which been in service for the Italian Navy since the early 1980:s. She has a displacement of 3100 tons and besides her two diesel main engines she is also equipped with two gas turbines for extra power and speed.

An important tool in the anti-piracy warfare is the helicopter, of which Libeccio has two; Agusta-Bell 212 – the naval version of the one from America well known “Huey”-type.

Libeccio have a well trained crew with former experience of these pirate-haunted waters and is welcomed by the Force Commander as a very good reinforcement of the EU NAVFOR.

EU NAVFOR Somalia – Operation ATALANTA’s main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid of the World Food Programme (WFP) and vessels of  African Union Mission in Somalia, AMISOM and to protect vulnerable vessels in the Gulf  of Aden and Indian Ocean and to deter and disrupt piracy. EU NAVFOR also monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.