Operation Atalanta conducted the “ALDABRA II” exercise in Seychelles, an advanced training activity aimed at promoting cooperation between the European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) and partners in the Indian Ocean.
The "ALDABRA II" exercise was carried out in Seychelles from 19th to 23rd September. For five days, representatives of EUNAVFOR, the Seychelles Defence Forces, the Regional Coordination Operations Centre (RCOC) based in Victoria, the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), the Critical Maritime Routes in the Indian Ocean (CRIMARIO), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and different legal and maritime security representatives of the host country shared knowledge and experiences on Maritime Security in the North-Western Indian Ocean.
The exercise comprised an initial theoretical phase and a practical phase.
During the three-day theoretical phase, Operation Atalanta’s Legal Advisor conducted a seminar on the legal basis for international maritime operations. The seminar counted on the participation of representatives of the Seychelles’ Attorney General Office, Supreme Court, Judiciary Police, Antinarcotics Bureau, Commissioner of Seychelles Prisons, RCOC, Foreign Affairs Department and Seychelles Defence Forces.
This phase was complemented by a series of panels related to the capabilities provided by the participants in Operation Atalanta. Further lectures approached the maritime threats in the area, the use of the IORIS Platform as a tool for information management and command and control in the Area of Operations, the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in maritime operations, Search and Rescue at sea and theory in Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) Operations.
All topics addressed in the lectures of the theoretical phase were applied during the practical phase by way of the execution of a counter-piracy exercise rehearsal. Members of the Seychelles Defence Forces, along with a Boarding Team from EUNAVFOR, carried out a boarding exercise at the Seychelles Coast Guard facilities on a vessel provided by UNDOC simulating a suspicious boat. Both the training and the execution of the activity counted on the valuable participation of the Spanish frigate ESPS “NAVARRA”. During the exercise, the IORIS Platform was used as link between the different actors responsible for Maritime Security in the area.
The ALDABRA exercises have become an essential meeting point for cooperation and coordination between all those involved in Maritime Security in the North-Western Indian Ocean region. This type of activity provides an excellent opportunity to test the procedures and capabilities available to Operation Atalanta, in order to achieve together a safer Indian Ocean.
