- The new Force rotation is commanded by an Italian Admiral, Rear Admiral Francesco Saladino, and the Italian ship, ITS Martinengo is the new flagship of the Operation.
- Portugal was in charge of the Force Command in the previous rotation on board Spanish ship ESPS Victoria as flagship of the Operation.
Djibouti, 11 February 2023 – Italian Rear Admiral Francesco Saladino assumes command of the 46th rotation as Force Commander of the European Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) Operation ATALANTA. He takes command of Task Force 465 from Portuguese Commodore Rogério Paulo Figueira Martins de Brito who was in command since 03 December 2023. The ceremony, which took place on the Spanish ship Victoria in the Port of Djibouti, was chaired by the EUNAVFOR Deputy Operation Commander Rear Admiral Éric Dousson.
Rear Admiral Dousson conveyed his highest appreciation for his commitment to the outgoing Force Commander, the crew of ESPS VICTORIA and ATALANTA’S detachments in Djibouti, “we are all grateful for the professionalism and dedication you have continuously shown. Nothing would have been achieved without the unflinching resolve of you, men, and women of Task Force 465” he said. “It is our job to maintain our dedication and our commitment to continue countering and disrupting piracy and illicit activities in the Gulf of Aden and the Somali Basin” continued Rear Admiral Dousson on his welcoming words to the new Force Commander.
The situation in the area in the past months has been very active with an increase in cases of piracy. The 45th Rotation has completed a successful deployment, strengthening the network with regional state partners, and continuing monitoring the situation to improve maritime security in the region.
“We are fully aware of the importance of Operation ATALANTA which can provide a significant contribution to the stabilization in the region improving security. At the same time, we feel a high sense of responsibility for the relevance of our involvement, and this will motivate us to do our best”, said Rear Admiral Francesco Saladino after taking command as Force Commander. He will lead the 46th rotation of Operation ATALANTA forces with the Italian warship, ITS Martinengo, as Operation ATALANTA’s flagship.
The ceremony was attended by several international and local civilian and military authorities including several European Union Ambassadors and commanders of different forces in the area.
The Force Headquarters, under the command of the Operation Headquarters in Rota (Spain), is an embarked headquarters forward deployed to ATALANTA Area of Operation, responsible for the Tactical Command of all EUNAVFOR multinational assets in the area. Its main responsibility is conducting operations at the operational and tactical level, under the ATALANTA Operation mandate and the Operation Headquarters’ guidance.
Currently, there are three ships in Associated Support to the Operation: the French warships FS ALSACE and FS LANGUEDOC, and the Italian ITS DUILIO. In the weeks to follow, the Spanish frigate ESPS Canarias will be also joining the Operation.
