EU Naval Force - Somalia
Operation ATALANTA

Earlier this week an Italian C-130J Hercules aircraft based in Pisa was tasked by the European Air Transport Command (EATC) to fly to Djibouti to deliver a spare engine for Operation Atalanta’s Spanish Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRA) Detachment that has been based in Djibouti since Operation Atalanta was launched by the European Union in December 2008.

The spare engine will enable the Spanish MPRA Detachment to maintain a high tempo of air patrols along the Somali coastline to look for any suspicious activity and potential pirate attacks; thus strengthening maritime security in the region.

The EATC is an excellent example of the cooperation and coordination that exists between European Union nations in the support of Member States’ military forces.