On Tuesday 27 July 2016 the Spanish Orion Air Contingent XXV, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Rafael Saiz Quevedo, completed a successful four month deployment with Operation Atalanta off the coast of Somalia. Detachment XXVI will be commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Juan Ferrero.
The handover ceremony was presided over by Colonel Manuel Ojeda from the Spanish Air Combat Command. During the ceremony he congratulated all outgoing personnel for their outstanding achievements, in often harsh weather conditions, due to the presence of the south-west monsoon.
A Spanish Air Force Contingent has been permanently detached in Djibouti since Operation Atalanta was launched by the European Union in December 2008. The aircrew fly aerial patrol missions to deter and disrupt piracy in the Gulf of Aden and off the Horn of Africa.