Italian frigate ZEFFIRO leaves EU NAVFOR after two months of valuable contribution.
On the 28 February, the Italian frigate ZEFFIRO finished as an EU NAVFOR warship after 70 days proudly flying the European Flag. She has conducted a variety of tasks in the force and has always been ready for any duties and demonstrated a proactive attitude to face all challenges in order to achieve the objectives of EU NAVFOR operation ATALANTA.
During these days at sea she has spent a good deal of her time safeguarding the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor in the Gulf of Aden, one of the world´s busiest sea routes. She has also been escorting World Food Programs transports, patrolling the Somali coast and the waters between the Somali coast and the Seychelles.
In his farewell signal to the Italian frigate the EU NAVFOR Force Commander Juan Rodriguez stated: "We are completely sure that, whatever the challenges, ZEFFIRO will show the same level of professionalism you demonstrated in ATALANTA and will therefore be able to succeed”.
EU NAVFOR 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), 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.
On the 28 February, the Italian frigate ZEFFIRO finished as an EU NAVFOR warship after 70 days proudly flying the European Flag. She has conducted a variety of tasks in the force and has always been ready for any duties and demonstrated a proactive attitude to face all challenges in order to achieve the objectives of EU NAVFOR operation ATALANTA.
During these days at sea she has spent a good deal of her time safeguarding the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor in the Gulf of Aden, one of the world´s busiest sea routes. She has also been escorting World Food Programs transports, patrolling the Somali coast and the waters between the Somali coast and the Seychelles.
In his farewell signal to the Italian frigate the EU NAVFOR Force Commander Juan Rodriguez stated: "We are completely sure that, whatever the challenges, ZEFFIRO will show the same level of professionalism you demonstrated in ATALANTA and will therefore be able to succeed”.
EU NAVFOR 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), 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.