EU Naval Force - Somalia
Operation ATALANTA

On Saturday 22 August, ESPS Galicia rendezvoused with ARC 7 De Agosto off the coast of Somalia as part of the Colombian warship’s collaboration with Operation Atalanta.

Whilst carrying out a replenishment at sea (RAS) of stores and food, the EU Force Commander, Rear Admiral Alfonso Fernández Gómez de Córdoba, and members of ESPS Galicia’s crew were flown on board ARC 7 De Agosto by the Colombian warship’s Augusta Bell 412 helicopter.

During the visit, the Force Commander said: “Today I have felt very much at home. This is because of the strong relationship that exists between the Spanish and Colombian Navies. Your Navy has this impressive warship that is ideal for an operation such as Atalanta. Thank you so much for your work in the operation.”

Since the start of the collaboration, the Colombian warship has worked with the EU Naval Force to help protect World Food Programme (WFP) vessels and vulnerable shipping along the Somali coastline and also to deter acts of piracy in the Gulf of Aden.