The month of March marks the 4th Anniversary of the relocation of Atalanta’s OHQ from Northwood, UK, to Rota, Spain. It has also been one of the most intense periods in recent times regarding the amount and quality of the outreach activities that represent Atalanta’s engagement towards Maritime Security and the fulfilment of its mandate.
Among the many references, a series of landmarks outstand in this period.
The joint mission, along with the Senior Coordinator of the Coordinated Maritime Presences in the North-Western Indian Ocean, Ambassador Michael Pulch, to the Republic of Korea and Japan, provided the opportunity to convey Atalanta’s appreciation for the valuable support of one of the most cherished members of the Operation, such as the Republic of Korea and served to sign the first “Administrative Arrangement for Communication and Coordination on Joint Anti-Piracy Exercises” with Japan. This instrument creates a flexible tool leading to the execution of joint exercises and activities that it is called to become a model to replicate with other valuable partners.
Secondly, the participation of the Operation Commander in the I Schuman Forum on Security and Defence, celebrated in Brussels, provided the opportunity to share with outstanding partners of the EU the commitment of Atalanta towards Maritime Security and safer seas at a crucial geostrategic moment.
Additionally, the Chairman of the EU Military Committee, General Robert Brieger, visited the ES-OHQ in Rota for the first time, showcasing the EU’s support to the Operation and for which we are grateful.
The month of March also witnessed the first ever joint naval exercise conducted between the EU and the U.S.A, holding Atalanta the immense privilege of being first-hand actor of the event.
Also, a new round of narcotics apprehensions highlighted the immense capacities of Atalanta to consolidate an unmissable role in the North-Western Indian Ocean as comprehensive Maritime Security Provider; a role towards which the member States of Atalanta prove their commitment with the assignation to the Operation of the aircraft that is meant to take over the tasks and responsibilities after the end of the service life of the P-3 Orion provided until December by the Spanish Air and Space Force.
Between 13th and 17th March, the Operation Commander, travelled to the Republic of Korea and Japan in the company of the EU's Senior Coordinator for Coordinated Maritime Presences in the North-West Indian Ocean, Ambassador Michael Pulch.
One of the main objectives for Atalanta, consisted in the signature of an agreement for the conduct of joint exercises with the naval self-defence forces of Japan ("Administrative Agreement for Communication and Coordination of Joint Anti-Piracy Exercises", in its official name). Nevertheless, the trip provided the opportunity to carry out a joint mission in which the Senior Coordinator and the Operation Commander shared the responsibility of introducing the concept of Coordinated Maritime Presences to the authorities of the Republic of Korea and Japan and update these two important countries for the Operation about the nature and content of the Strategic Review and renewal of our mandate.
The Republic of Korea and Japan are respectively a valuable partners of the Operation, as first country in Asia to conclude a CSDP Framework Partnership Agreement with the EU (signed on 23rd May 2014, entry into force 1st December 2016) and currently providing staff officers to Atalanta FHQ at sea (last one joined 43rd Rotation on board Frigate ESPS “Reina Sofía”) and, in the case of Japan, a reliable partner that has been participating in joint anti-piracy exercises with Atalanta since October 2014 in accordance with the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP).
In the Republic of Korea, both had the opportunity to present their respective areas of work before important think tanks such as the Korea Institute for Defense Analysis (KIDA) or the Korea Institute for Maritime Strategy (KIMS). Ambassador Pulch and Admiral Núñez Torrente highlighted the common interests that unite the EU’ values with the Republic of Korea around maritime security and the geostrategic conditions that complicate any approach to the subject.
The Korean authorities showed avid interest in the goals and values of the concept of Coordinated Maritime Presences and its interaction with the presence of EU NAVFOR Atalanta in the area. In this regard, the joint meeting with Director General for International Organizations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Jooyeong Ellen Kang, turned very productive as she engaged to elevate consultations to the concerned departments that may facilitate the Republic of Korea to participate in activities under the framework of the CMP’s.
The common goal to enhance maritime security highlights the solid basis of the relations between the Republic of Korea and the EU towards a free, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
A joint meeting with the Defence Attachés of Spain, France, Germany, Hungary, Denmark and Finland at the EUDEL headquarters in Seoul marked the end of the activities in Korean soil.
After the visit to the Republic of Korea, the delegation travelled to Japan where, on the 15th March, the Operation Commander had the opportunity to proceed to the signature of the “Administrative Agreement for Communication and Coordination of Joint Anti-Piracy Exercises" along with General Koji Yamazaki (Chief of Defence of the Japanese Self-Defence Forces).
The Operation Commander took advantage of his time at the Ministry of Defence to also hold a meeting with Admiral Yoshihiro Goka (J3 Joint Staff). Both meetings showcased the perfect harmony between the strategic objectives of Japan and the EU in the face of geostrategic threats in the Indian and Pacific Oceans and the complementary status of maritime security upholders in favour of a threat-free ocean.
The Japanese authorities repeatedly praised the excellent relation between Atalanta and the Japanese self-defence forces, not only in Djibouti as logistic hub, but also after the more than 30 joint activities performed in recent times.
This good disposition was confirmed in subsequent meetings with senior representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and, again, the Ministry of Defence: Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, Mr. Shimizu; Director General of Europe, Mr. Nakagome and Director General of International Affairs of the Ministry of Defense, Mr. Miura.
In addition to these meetings, the Operation Commander and Ambassador Pulch had the opportunity to visit the Yokosuka base, reference port of the US VII Fleet in the Pacific and hold meetings with Vice Admiral Akira Saito (Commander of the Japanese Fleet); Rear Admiral Erik Eslich, Deputy Commander of the US VII Fleet and Director of the UN Sanctions Enforcement Cell, Commander Michael Lawless.
An event organized by EUDEL with the project "Enhancing Security Cooperation In and With Asia", ESIWA, with whom Atalanta maintains a long relationship, under the title "New Opportunities for EU-JP contribution to Indo-Pacific Maritime Security" and a visit to the DSEI arms fair in Tokyo concluded the trip of the delegation to Japan.
Immediately after this trip, the Operation Commander had the opportunity to participate in the I Schuman Forum on Security and Defence, chaired by High Representative / Vice-President Josep Borrell and held in Brussels between 20th and 21st March.
In particular, The Operation Commander had the opportunity to intervene as a panellist in the round table "Securing our seas and maritime space together", along with prominent speakers, such as the Ministers of Defence of Portugal, Ms. Carreiras; Norway, Mr. Gram; Chile, Ms. Fernández Allende and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Sultanate of Oman, Vice-Admiral Al Raisi.
The panel addressed the means to prevent, deter and counter the range of security threats and challenges in the maritime domain and to ensure free, safe and open seas and a rules-based international order. Dr Daniel Fiott, Head of the Defence and Statecraft Programme at the Centre for Security, was the panel moderator. In the course of his presentation, Admiral Núñez Torrente spoke about the evolving threats that Atalanta faces (from cracking down on piracy, to witness the effects of geostrategic tensions in the area in the form of drone strikes or recently GPS-guided missiles) and how the Operation's intricate network of partners and allies in the area contribute to our success and are the basis for our future projection. The Operation Commander also shared Atalanta's most pressing challenges at sea, such as the enlargement of the Area of Operations towards the Suez Canal or the abolishment of the High-Risk Area by the shipping industry.
In the margins of the Plenary Session, the Operation Commander held a brief encounter with the Ambassador of Somalia to the EU to whom he gave assurances of Atalanta’s commitment to the stabilisation of the country and how the renewal of Atalanta's mandate has heard loud and clear the demands of his government in terms of a more flexible procedure for transmitting information on illegal fishing, unregulated and undeclared and on an enhanced training commitment.
Likewise, the Operation Commander’s contacts with the Omani delegation served to rekindle the interest of those authorities in signing a MoU between Atalanta and the Maritime Security Centre in Muscat, similar to the trilateral one that Atalanta already has in place with the maritime security centres in Seychelles and Madagascar.
On 20th March, on behalf of the OPCDR, COS ATALANTA CAPT Rafael Torrecillas participated on VTC in the conference “Exchange of views on the Holistic Strategic Review of CSDP support to Somalia” along with the Managing Director for Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability Mr Stefano Tomat and the EUMS representative GEN Laurent Bart. The conference was held in the EU Parliament in support of the visit of Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) to Somalia next April.
On 20th March, EU NAVFOR Deputy Operation Commander, French Rear Admiral Hilaire Ducellier, participated in the EU-Djibouti Political Dialogue, held at the Djiboutian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Prior to the event, the Deputy Commander awarded H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the CSDP Medal for the excellent relations with the Operation.
The Minister and the EU Head of delegation to Djibouti, HE Sylvie Tabesse, chaired the Dialogue, which was attended by members of the Djiboutian government and the ambassadors and diplomatic representatives of EU Member States accredited in Djibouti. The Deputy Commander had the opportunity to present the mandate and activities of Atalanta to the audience, thanking the Djiboutian authorities for their outstanding support and commitment to the Operation and highlighting the important contribution of Djibouti to maritime security in the region.
In the evening, the Deputy Commander attended the reception on the occasion of the Political Dialogue on board of the EU NAVFOR ship FS “Courbet”, moored in Djibouti. He awarded two French military personnel the CSDP Medal for their exceptional dedication to the Operation”.
Also, during his visit to Djibouti, the Deputy Commander also met Djibouti Port Director, Mr. Omar Hadi, with whom ATALANTA SEA keeps a close relationship. He also paid a visit to MG J. Shawley, Commanding General of US CJTF-HOA; MG Boite, Commander of the French Forces in Djibouti; Colonel Yoshida, Commander of the Japanese counter-piracy forces in Djibouti and the EU NAVFOR Support Element SEA, commanded by French Commander Dominique Giry.
Also, on 21st March, RA Ducellier, visited the Aerotactical Detachment Orion of the Spanish Air and Space Force in Djibouti. The Tactical Air Detachment (DAT) is equipped with a D4 VIGMA surveillance, maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, with 49 airmen.
On 22nd March, Rear Admiral Ducellier paid his first visit to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command / U.S. V Fleet Deputy Commander, Rear Admiral Bailey, in Bahrein. This first meeting offered them the opportunity to exchange views on maritime security and to look for new ways to cooperate in the Western Indian Ocean.
Additionally, he visited the Combined Maritime Forces Headquarters and met with the CMF Chief of Staff, Commander Raineault, and CTF 153 Force Commander, Rear Admiral Abdelsattar. Their exchange addressed maritime security in the Western Indian Ocean and the productive cooperation with this crucial partner sharing values and goals.
On 24th March, the Chairman of the EU Military Committee, General Robert Brieger, paid his first visit to Operation Atalanta OHQ, located in the Rota Naval Base (Spain), as part of his tour of the Spanish Joint Staff. EU NAVFOR Operation Commander welcomed General Brieger and the Spanish delegation, led by the Spanish Chief of Defence, Admiral General Teodoro López Calderón, proceeding to sign the Roll of Honour. During the visit, General Brieger attended a briefing on the current security situation in the Area of Operations, the EU NAVFOR state of play and the challenges ahead. Following the briefing, he had the opportunity to meet the headquarters staff and visit the OHQ facilities, including the Joint Operations Centre (JOC), from which the Operation monitors the security of navigation in the Western Indian Ocean 24/7.
On 28th March, Atalanta Chief of Staff and representatives from OHQ CJ2 and CJ3 participated in the Heads of Units Meeting at the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) headquarters in Lisbon. Main topics discussed were the necessary changes to be made to the Agreement between EMSA and Atalanta (POC'S, Name of the Operation and future fields of collaboration on electro-optical imaging and new functionalities for data management and future training for our CJ2 and CJ3 personnel). The opportunity served to share with the OHQ representatives a demonstration of EMSA capabilities, focused in future collaborations.
In the last days of February, Operation Atalanta continued participating in training exercises using the Crimario II - Project IORIS platform, together with the support of EUCAP-Somalia. The regular RAVEN joint exercises aim to improve the capabilities of IORIS-trained personnel in the Horn of Africa community area, providing the opportunity to coordinate multi-faceted events at sea using the IORIS platform as a communication and information-sharing tool. In this occasion the participants in the RAVEN 2 exercises were the Yemeni Maritime Affairs Authority, the Somali Maritime Administration - Mogadishu, the Somaliland Coast Guard, the Puntland Maritime Police, the Djibouti Coast Guard and EU NAVFOR FHQ, on board the flagship of the operation ESPS “Reina Sofía”. Promoting regional maritime security architecture is crucial to ensure freedom of navigation in the Western Indian Ocean.
On 2nd March, EUNAVFOR conducted a new counter-narcotic operation during a regular patrol to protect vessels transiting off the Horn of Africa and the Western Indian Ocean. The French Marine nationale warships LHD “Dixmude” and FFH “La Fayette”, both integrated in the “Jeanne d'Arc” group JDA23 and in direct support to the Operation, seized a total of 1087.5 Kgs of narcotics on two stateless Dhows.
The French warships acted in direct support to EU NAVFOR, along with the Italian Frigate “Carlo Bergamini”, under the command of the FHQ on board the Atalanta Flagship, Frigate ESPS “Reina Sofía”.
This is the first counter-narcotics operation of Atalanta in 2023. Both actions add to the eight actions conducted in 2022, seizing more than 12,7 tons of narcotics. During this last operation, the types of drugs seized were 573 kg of hashish, 305 kg of Heroin and 210 kg of methamphetamine. The street value of this seizure is an overall 36.8 million €. All these actions were conducted in close coordination with the French Joint Forces Commander in the Indian Ocean (ALINDIEN). The commitment of the contributing countries to the Operation, such as France in this case, allows Atalanta to tackle the narcotics flow in the Western Indian Ocean in accordance with its mandate.
On the occasion of the direct support by these French units to the Operation, LHD “Dixmude” and EU NAVFOR Flagship, ESPS “Reina Sofía”, conducted Joint Activities at Sea while patrolling in the Area of Operations. The AB 212 Helicopter carried out cross deck exercises successfully. Mutual exchange of procedures and techniques is essential to ensure full integration and interoperability.
On 4th March, during a Port visit in Djibouti, EU NAVFOR Force Commander, Rear Admiral Juan María Ibañez Martín, held a meeting with Captain Ahmed Daher Djama, Djiboutian Navy Commander, and Colonel Wais O. Bogoreh, Djiboutian Coast Guard Commander. Rear Admiral Ibáñez updated the Djiboutian authorities on Atalanta’s renewed mandate and the importance of Djibouti as a partner, being one of the three host countries of the operation. Colonel Bogoreh and Captain Ahmed expressed their appreciation for EU NAVFOR's collaboration through Local Maritime Capacity Enhancement and the importance of the Operation units in the area, providing maritime security.
During the same port visit of Atalanta Flagship, Force Commander, Rear Admiral Ibáñez had the opportunity to meet with General Laurent Boite of the “Forces Françaises stationnées à Djibouti”; Captain Paolo Spagnoletta, Italian Base BMIS Commander, and Colonel Yoshida Takahiro, from the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force in Djibouti Commander. Close relationships with these three essential partners are crucial to achieving common goals as Maritime Security Providers in the Western Indian Ocean.
On 5th March, a new maritime capacity enhancement activity was held with the Djibouti Coast Guard on board Atalanta’s Flagship, ESPS “Reina Sofía”. Basic navigation concepts were reviewed, focusing on nautical chart use, electronic cartography, VHF radio and radar operation.
On 6th March, Operation Atalanta Force Commander, Rear Admiral Juan María Ibáñez Martín, visited for the first time ITS “Carlo Bergamini” and greeted her crew after the ship moored in Djibouti. ITS “Carlo Bergamini” organised capacity enhancement activities with the Djiboutian Navy and Coast Guard during a port visit. The focus was set on maritime security activities, board, search and seizure, maritime security awareness and Search and Rescue.
Also, during the month of March, EU NAVFOR ITS ”Carlo Bergamini” the Omani ship RNO “Khassab”, engaged in a Combined Maritime exercise in the Arabian Sea, contributing to promote regional cooperation and increasing interoperability of maritime forces.
On 7th March, Combined Maritime Forces - CTF 151 Force Commander, Rear Admiral Ko Seung-bum, paid a visit to Operation Atalanta Flagship “Reina Sofía” while mooring at the Sultan Qaboos Port in Muscat, Oman. EU NAVFOR Force Commander, Rear Admiral Juan Maria Ibáñez Martin, shared common concerns about the crucial importance of the close cooperation between CTF-151 and CTF-465, responsible for conducting counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden and highlighted their significant contributions to regional stability and Maritime Security. Expanded communication, such as regular video conferences, information exchange diversification and contact officer operations promotion, was discussed to develop their coordination system further. Finally, both commanders expressed their willingness and commitment to cooperate in counter-piracy operations to ensure a free, secure, open sea.
On 8th March, Atalanta flagship, ESPS “Reina Sofía”, performed a Fuelling at Sea - FAS manoeuvre with the USS ship “Alan Shepard”, a Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo. The FAS, conducted in the Gulf of Aden's waters, allowed the frigate to remain longer in the area, carrying out her tasks in the Western Indian Ocean without the need to enter harbour. This kind of interaction highlights the perfect collaboration among strategic partners in their respective areas of operations.
On 10th March, the ES D4 VIGMA of the Spanish Air and Space Force arrived in Djibouti, completing the deployment of the 46th rotation and replacing the P-3 Orion whose service life came to an end in December 2022. The Orion Detachment is the eyes in the sky of the Operation. Maritime surveillance aircraft D4 VIGMA CN 235 has an 8-hour and up to 700 NM operational range. It can offer up to 7h at 100 NM surveillance time. With a cruise speed of 220 kts and optimum search speed of 140-150 kts. It is equipped with a digital video recorder, AIS (Automatic Identification System), FLIR/EO (Forward Looking Infra-Red/Electro-Optical), SATCOM, RADAR search and photo camera. It is expected that this aircraft will be deployed in Djibouti during the inter-monsoon periods.
On 14th March, during a port visit in Salalah, Oman, EU NAVFOR Flagship ESPS “Reina Sofía” RNO “Al-Rahmani” of the Omani naval forces performed a crew exchange. Both crews visited areas of interest for each ship and received presentations on capabilities and missions carried out on board each unit. Atalanta officers had the chance to present their new mandate to their Omani counterparts. This activity is one of many carried out in Oman to continue strengthening ties with the main regional states in the area of operations; collaboration that is essential to achieve the ultimate goal of free navigation.
On 23rd and 24th March, the European Union and the United States of America conducted their first joint naval exercise in the framework of EU-U.S. joint patrolling of the sea lines of communication in the Arabian Sea, as decided at the last round of the EU-U.S. High-Level Consultations on the Indo-Pacific on 2nd December 2022.
The exercise involved USS “Paul Hamilton”, as well as EU NAVFOR Operation Atalanta’s Spanish Flagship “Reina Sofía” and Italian Ship “Carlo Bergamini”. It included professional exchanges on boarding procedures, ship navigation, and training designed to improve interoperability and integration. It included life firing, complex tactical evolutions at sea, cross-deck helicopter landings, fuel replenishment at sea and boarding of suspicious vessels.
The exercise forms part of the shared commitment of the EU and United States to work towards practical maritime cooperation and support a free and open Indo-Pacific, in line with documents such as the EU Strategic Compass, the EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy. The EU and the United States reaffirmed their commitment to further pursue coordination and complementary work for regional maritime security to support freedom of navigation and other internationally lawful uses of the sea in the Indo-Pacific.
Along with Atalanta Flagship, Frigate ESPS “Reina Sofía”, Italian Frigate ITS “Carlo Bergamini” has been supporting Task Force 465 (Operation Atalanta) as second permanent asset since 26 February. Also, French ship FS “Courbet” participated in the Operation in Direct Support between 15th and 30th March.
Other French unit joined the Operation in Associated Support during limited periods: French Task Force “Jeanne d’Arc”, consisting of FS “Dixmude” and FS “La Fayette”, between 3rd and 5th March; FS “Guepratte”, between 7th and 11th March, and FS “Andromede”, during the whole month of March.
The air aassets of the Operation where embodied by the Spanish aircraft ESP VIGMA D-4, since 15th March, and French MSA “F-50M” on 8th March in Direct Support.
Additionally, Lithuania holds an Autonomous Vessel Protection Detachment on standby since 1st March and from 6th March, Spain provides a SOMTU team on board Atalanta’s Flagship ESPS “Reina Sofía”.
Also in the month of March, Atalanta participated in the repatriation of a convicted pirate serving time in Seychelles following his arrest in November 2013. Along with 8 other Somalis, the pirate, convicted of having attacked the Hong Kong-flagged ship M/V ZHONGJI and the Danish-flagged ship M/V “Torm Kansas”, respectively on 6 and 9 November 2013, was arrested by the HDMS “Esbern-Snare”, a Danish vessel registered at the time with the NATO Ocean Shield Task Force (CTF-508).
The Seychelles authorities requested Atalanta's assistance in prosecuting this suspect once the Danish judicial authorities ceded jurisdiction. As a sign of Atalanta's commitment to the total cycle of piracy crime deterrence, which includes the complexion of our "Legal Goal", Atalanta's legal advisor supported the UNODC office on the legal and humanitarian aspects of repatriation.
On 3rd March, EU NAVFOR joined the country representative of the Operation celebrating Bulgaria's National Day, Liberation Day. Bulgaria celebrates 145 years of being part of the European charts of Europe and honours all the people that gave their lives for freedom.
On 6th March, the Operation Commander was invited to attend the Itinerant Exhibition of the Spanish Ministry of Defence "Mission: ATALANTA", organized by the Chiclana de la Frontera city council. He was provided the opportunity to join the Spanish Minister of Defence, Margarita Robles; City Major José María Román; Spanish Fleet Admiral Eugenio Díaz del Río Jaudenes and the General of the Spanish Marine Corps, Brigadier Rafael Roldan during the tour. Despite sharing with France and Djibouti the condition of host nation of the Operation, Spain is the main contributor to Operation Atalanta and this exhibition showcases the added value of this important member of the Operation.
On 10th March, Operation Atalanta OHQ Gender Advisor attended the seminar “Integrating a Gender Perspective into CSDP Missions and Operations: Delivering on the Strategic Compass”. The event took place in Brussels and was co-organized by the Swedish Presidency of the EU, the European External Action Service and the European Union Institute for Security Studies. The initial plenary session was followed by three working groups related to Gender in Missions and Operations, areas of leadership, training and efficiency. The main takeaways were that the central Gender policies and procedures are in place and tested well. However, the statistics of female personnel participating in missions and operations must improve. The final introductory words to the high-level plenary session were delivered by General Robert Brieger, Chairman of the EUMC. The second part of the session was introduced by Vice Admiral Hervé Bléjean, Director of the EUMS.
On 25th March, our Greek members commemorated Greek Independence Day, also known as the Celebration of the Greek Revolution that has been annually celebrated since 1821. Operation Atalanta shares those values of determination and sacrifice in the quest of Freedom and wished our Greek comrades a happy national day.
On 29th March, Vice Admiral Nuñez Torrente, participated in the III Business Breakfast of the Cádiz Naval Maritime Cluster. Over fifty companies in the Andalusian naval industry were able to receive a first-hand insight of the work and tasks of the mission, its evolution and immediate perspectives. This kind of interactions with the main actors of the shipping industry highlights Atalanta’s vocation as maritime security provider.