NEWSLETTER JULY 2025

Dear reader,

In this month of July, the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea continued to witness a deteriorating security situation. This remind us that the situation in our Area of Operations can change at any moment. This is what we experienced with the resurgence of piracy between 2023 and 2024. More than ever, they compel us to remain on permanent alert to react effectively and decisively to any evidence of illegal maritime activities.

In light of these incidents, however, we were able to appreciate the relevance of ATALANTA’s Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean (MSCIO). The centre has distinguished itself as a pivotal point for joint actions between the actors involved. These results are the fruit of our joint efforts to achieve tangible solutions, particularly at various international forums such as the Industry Strategic Meeting and SHADE.

Our collaborations with maritime security partners deployed in the Area of Operations, such as the Japanese and South Korean navies, highlight the importance of collaboration and mutual understanding among all forces dedicated to maritime security in the region. This allows us to have a complete maritime security awareness picture of the Western Indian Ocean region and a very robust integration into the maritime security structure woven by all actors working hand in hand to ensure freedom of navigation in these waters.

Finally, the presentation of the results of the last six months in Brussels has allowed me to confirm the support and commitment of the European Union and Member States to the Operation. This is in addition to the modification of our mandate to include a new non-executive task for monitoring the Russian shadow fleet in our Area of Operations. All of this gives us renewed and clear impetus to continue robustly building the way forward for ATALANTA as a provider of maritime security in the Western Indian Ocean.

Vice Admiral Ignacio Villanueva Serrano

EUNAVFOR ATALANTA Operation Commander

On 1 July, Operation ATALANTA Operation Commander, Vice Admiral Ignacio Villanueva Serrano, has been awarded the Gold Medal of the French National Defence.

France is one of the 20 nations contributing to EUNAVFOR ATALANTA providing personnel, assets in several periods in different support modalities, and being the country that hosts the OHQ’s Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean (MSCIO) in Brest.

On 3 July, Operation ATALANTA Operation Commander Vice Admiral Ignacio Villanueva Serrano presented the Spanish Naval Meritorious Medal to Rear Admiral Eric Dousson and the Common Security and Defence Policy to the Former Head of Political, Press and Information Section of the EU Delegation to Somalia Mr. Thomas Kieler and Navy Captain Gerardo Rodriguez Mendoza.

The ceremony took place at the Operation Headquarters in Rota with different authorities, family and friends present. A moment to highlight the work done by the awardees and their contribution to Operation ATALANTA.

On 7 July, Rear Admiral Paolo Fantoni (Italy) took over as Deputy Commander of Operation ATALANTA for the next six months.

Rear Admiral Paolo Fantoni has an extensive and successful military career. Among others, his achievements include: Commanding Officer of Minehunter GAETA, OPV Comandante FOSCARI and Amphibious Ship SAN GIUSTO, which was during his command the flagship of the Operation ATALANTA in 2012, and COM Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 in the Mediterranean Sea in 2020.

On 1 July, Operation ATALANTA Force Commander, Rear Admiral Francisco Javier Vázquez Sanz, received a delegation from the Puntland Police Force on board the ship in the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Bossasso.

The meeting aimed at discussing the maritime security challenges including the strategies to fight piracy and other threats at sea.

On 7 July, Operation ATALANTA flagship ESPS NAVARRA conducted a joint activity at sea with the JS HARUSAME.

Collaboration between different navies is essential to share information of interest in the Area of Operations.

On 10 July, Operation ATALANTA Force Commander, Rear Admiral Vázquez Sanz, visited the Maritime Security Centre in Muscat, Oman.

Since June 2024, Operation ATALANTA and the Maritime Security Centre in Muscat have a Protocol of Coordination and Cooperation that enhances the well-established relationship, highlighting the cooperation on various areas including sharing information, coordination and the logistical aspect.

During the port visit in Muscat, the Spanish ambassador to Oman, H.E. Francisco Javier de Istúriz Simonet, paid a visit to the EUNAVFOR ATALANTA flagship ESPS NAVARRA. ATALANTA’s Force Commander, Rear Admiral Vazquez Sanz, welcomed the Ambassador, who had the opportunity to meet the Force Headquarters and crewmembers.

Operation ATALANTA plays a fundamental role in the diplomatic activity of the European Union and EU Member States.

On 18 July, Operation ATALANTA flagship ESPS NAVARRA conducted a joint activity at sea with the ROKS MUNMU THE GREAT. The activity included the training of a simulated boarding to a hijacked ship.

The teams specialised in non-collaborative boarding from both units worked hard to coordinate tactics, techniques and procedures and share experiences that improve the execution of these high-risk missions and facilitate interactions in real scenarios in the Area of Operations.

Protecting the World Food Programme's vessels, delivering food aid in Somalia, is one of the main tasks of Operation ATALANTA, ESPS NAVARRA, flagship of Operation ATALANTA, recently escorted a World Food Programme vessel during her transit to deliver this essential humanitarian aid.

Since 2009, EUNAVFOR ATALANTA has supported the delivery of over 3.2 million tonnes of humanitarian assistance to communities across Somalia, with 2,492 WFP vessels protected.

In July, EUNAVFOR Operation ATALANTA social media and website promoted the alerts reported and published by Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean (MSCIO) related to recent incidents happened in the Area of Operations.

The MSCIO alerts are always developed in close cooperation with United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), and stresses the relevance of real-time communication and coordinated efforts among regional and international maritime security stakeholders to ensure the security of vessels transiting these high-risk areas.

Operation ATALANTA strongly recommends merchant and other vulnerable vessels to register in the MSCIO's Voluntary Registration Scheme (VRS), to provide the most effective monitoring and response by ATALANTA forces and their partners in countering maritime security threats.

On 3 July, EUNAVFOR ATALANTA - ORION Detachment personnel conducted physical and military training with the advanced simulation system GUNFIGHTER GYM in Djibouti. This training was carried out in partnership with US military personnel and aims to improve the skills of Operation personnel in shooting, rapid response, and decision-making in complex tactical environments.

On 24 July, 12 years have passed since the first operational flight of the Spanish Air Force CN-235 D.4 VIGMA in Operation ATALANTA.

Based in Djibouti, over the past twelve years, the ORION Detachment has completed more than 4,000 flight hours in VIGMA D-4 aircrafts and around 600 maritime patrol missions over strategic areas such as the Gulf of Aden, the Somali basin and the Western Indian Ocean. Being the EUNAVFOR ATALANTA eyes in the sky, VIGMA D-4 has consolidated the air surveillance and strengthen the international response to piracy, illicit trafficking and other threats to maritime security in this critical region.