On the 16^th of July 2018 Rear Admiral Alfonso Pérez de Nanclares (Spanish Navy) handed over the role of Deputy Operation Commander (DCOM) of the European Union’s counter-piracy operation off the coast of Somalia to Rear Admiral Giuseppe Rapese (Italian Navy).

He joins us from the Italian Navy General Staff having been promoted to Rear Admiral. The handover took place at the Operational Headquarters (OHQ) in Northwood, London.

The strong cooperation and coordination that exists between the EU Naval Force, other naval forces, maritime industry and regional states have ensured that the pirate attacks that plagued vessels in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean just a few years ago remain suppressed.

Rear Admiral Giuseppe Rapese said:  “It is a great pleasure and an honour to be here today. Many great things have happened with EU NAVFOR and I’m looking forward to working here.”

For more details about Rear Admiral Giuseppe Rapese click here: https://goo.gl/qZoiYU