July 2017

EU NAVFOR’s Deputy Operation Commander, Rear-Admiral Alfonso Pérez de Nanclares, visited ESPS Rayo during her recent port visit to Djibouti and welcomed her back to Operation Atalanta.

On Thursday 27 July 2017 Rear Admiral Rafael Fernández-Pintado (Spanish Navy) handed over force command of the EU’s counter-piracy ‘Operation Atalanta’ to Rear Admiral Fabio Gregori (Italian Navy) during a ceremony in Djibouti.  EU NAVFOR’s Deputy Operation Commander, Rear-Admiral Alfonso Pérez de N

For the past five months Operation Atalanta’s Force Commander, Rear Admiral Rafael Fernández-Pintado Muñoz-Rojas, together with his multinational Force HQ staff, have been aboard EU NAVFOR’s flagship, ESPS Galicia off the coast of Somalia.

During their recent port visit to Muscat, ESPS Galicia’s ship’s company welcomed aboard the Spanish Ambassador to Oman, His Excellency José Antonio Bordallo Huidobro.

During a recent replenishment at sea off the coast of Somalia, Sea King helicopters from EU NAVFOR’s flag ship, ESPS Galicia, and a Merlin helicopter from UK supply vessel, RFA Fort Victoria, took the opportunity to carry out air coordination training.

In order to ensure warships can remain at sea for long periods they carry out replenishments at sea (RAS) with military supply vessels and tankers.

The medical team on board Operation Atalanta flagship, ESPS Galicia, regularly conduct medical exercises at sea to ensure that they remain fully prepared to deal with medical emergencies.  The crew are able to carry out a range of medical procedures, from routine first aid to life-saving surgery.

On Thursday 11 July 2017 Italian warship, ITS Espero, started her journey home to her base of Taranto after a 108-day deployment with EU NAVFOR off the coast of Somalia.

During their counter-piracy patrols off the coast of Somalia marines aboard EU NAVFOR’s Italian frigate, ITS Espero, carry out regular force protection training to ensure that they remain fully prepared to respond to a piracy-related incident or sea-borne attack from a hostile vessel.  During the tr

Intii ay ku guda jireen howlgalka ka dhanka ah kooxaha burcad-Baddeeda Soomaalidda ee ka socda xeebaha dalka Soomaaliya, ciidamada la dagaalanka Burcad-Baddeeda ee Midowga Yurub waxaa ay quudareynayeen sida ay kalluumeeysatada Soomaalidda ugala hadli lahaayeen kaalintooda ku aadan howlgalka Midowga

As part of her counter-piracy patrols off the coast of Somalia, EU NAVFOR’s Italian warship, ITS Espero, has an Agusta-Bell AB 212 helicopter embarked.

One of EU NAVFOR’s key missions is to protect World Food Programme (WFP) vessels as they transit along the coastline of Somalia. It is essential that much-needed food and other humanitarian aid get safely delivered to the Somali people without any delay.