Operation Atalanta’s Spanish Warship, ESPS Tornado, recently visited the Seychelles. During the port visit, Spanish sailors took the opportunity to train with Seychelles forces.

The training began with theory lessons on board ESPS Tornado and was followed by practical training on Sainte Anne Island, two miles from Port Victoria. It aimed to provide the Seychelles Force with the capability to reach and recognise different beaches in order to conduct an Amphibious Task Force landing in both peacetime and hostile environments.

Following the practical phase, all participants returned to ESPS Tornado, where they were addressed by the Spanish Unit Commander.  All agreed that the training had been extremely beneficial in enhancing the skill-set of the Seychelles Forces and promoting cooperation between the two forces.

Training with regional partners is an important part of EU Naval Force’s work as it helps to ensure that maritime security can be maintained even when Atalanta warships are in a different part of the Area of Operations.