On Tuesday 1 November 2016 Atalanta’s Operation Commander, Major General Rob Magowan, was welcomed aboard Atalanta flagship, HNLMS Tromp.

The Operation Commander was briefed by the Force Commander about the current situation at sea and he then took the opportunity to meet the ship’s company to thank them for their hard work and commitment that is helping to ensure that piracy remains suppressed off the coast of Somalia so that seafarers remain safe from attack.

Whilst the key roles for Operation Atalanta are to protect World Food Programme vessels and to deter and disrupt piracy off the coast of Somalia, Operation Atalanta’s warships also provide support to other EU missions in the Horn of Africa, such as EUCAP Nestor and EUTM.  EUCAP Nestor staff are helping to develop maritime capabilities of regional forces and EUTM staff are helping to strengthen security in Somalia.