Picture Gallery

To download any of these images, please visit our Flickr account. If you would like to use any of the images, we would just ask that you credit Op. ATALANTA.

Visit our flickr account >>
HNLMS Van Speijk left her home port Den Helder in the Netherlands on 10 August and joined today the European counter-piracy Operation Atalanta. The EU Naval Force Flagship ITS Andrea Doria and on the background the spanish ship ESPS Navarra EU Force Commander Rear Admiral Rando stepping out from the dutch helicopter NH90 The Dutch frigate HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën (on the background) and the EU Naval Forces Flagship ITS Andrea Doria EU Force Commander Rear Admiral Rando in ESPS Navarra Officers Wardroom and the Commanding Officer of ESPS Navarra, Commander Alejandro Cuerda Lorenzo, standing up on his left side. EU Force Commander visiting ESPS Navarra operation room On board HNLMS De Zeven Provincien Rear Admiral Rando (in the center) with the Commanding Officer, Commander Ruud Schoonen (on the right side of the picture) and the Commander of the Maltese Special Duties Enhanced Boarding Team (MSDEBT), Lieutenant Colon Rear Admiral Rando presented Commander Ruud Schoonen, Commanding Officer of HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën, with the Operation Atalanta medal. Rear Admiral Rando presented Commander Ruud Schoonen, Commanding Officer of HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën, with the Operation Atalanta medal. The Operation Atalanta medal EU Force Commander Rear Admiral Rando speaking to ESPS Navarra crew The yacht’s two French crewmembers had put out a mayday signal after they suffered engine failure The mayday was picked up by the German Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRA), which is operating with the EU Naval Force, and they quickly relayed the signal to the EU Force Commander, Rear Admiral Guido Rando, on board ITS Andrea Doria. As she was the nearest warship to the yacht, ITS Andrea Doria launched her helicopter and closed the sea area to provide assistance. Upon arrival at the scene, a team of Italian Navy marine engineers went on board the yacht and after a couple of hours repaired the damaged engine. Speaking about the assistance given to the yacht, Rear Admiral Rando stated “The two crewmembers have been very fortunate. They were in a perilous situation, not only had they suffered engine failure and ran out of fuel, they were also in a sea area where Four days later, on 16 of August, once more the German MPRA received a mayday from the same sailing yacht. The yacht had lost steering and asked for fuel in order to reach the next safe port.The Spanish frigate ESPS Navarra, heading to the same port, was After providing the needed fuel and repairs of the steering, the Spanish frigate monitored the yacht until she reached the safety of the nearest port. On 11 of August 2014 the Combat Support Ship FGS Berlin received a visit from the Force Commander of the European Union Naval Force Somalia Rear Admiral Guido Rando FGS Berlin With her self-defence system, her two Sea King helicopters and the boarding capabilities, FGS Berlin is far more than purely a supply and support vessel and can fulfil a wide range of counter-piracy operations while deployed with the EU Naval Force. The Force Commander and his staff were picked up by Berlin’s SH-3D Sea King helicopter during a Replenishment At Sea (RAS) manoeuvre of FGS Berlin and the flagship ITS Andrea Doria in Gulf of Aden. Admiral Rando thanked the CO and the crew of FGS Berlin for their hospitality, hard work and the high value support provided to Operation Atalanta units On 11 August EU Naval Force ship HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën completed an escort of a World Food Program (WFP) vessel along the coast of Somalia The cargo of this shipment consisted mainly of grain, oil and corn soya blend, which is designed to provide protein supplements and is generally used in WFP Supplementary Feeding and Mother and Child Health programs. The WFP chartered merchant vessel left the port of Berbera on Saturday 9 August for the port of Bosaso under the protection of the EU Naval Force vessel the HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën Altogether the EU Naval Force has protected World Food Program ships carrying over 900,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid since 2008. The captain of the merchant vessel expressed to the HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën his gratitude and appreciation for the assistance given by EU Naval Forces to help keeping World Food Program ships safe. After a 2-day escort by HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën, the ship arrived in Bosaso where security was handed over to the local authorities On Wednesday 6 August 2014 Rear Admiral Jürgen zur Mühlen (German Navy) handed over Force Command of the EU’s counter-piracy Operation Atalanta to Rear Admiral Guido Rando (Italian Navy). For the last four months Rear Admiral zur Mühlen and his international military staff of 32 men and women have been embarked on board FGS Brandenburg off the coast of Somalia. The new Force Commander, Rear Admiral Rando (right), also addressed the ceremony and thanked Admiral zur Mühlen, before stating that under his command “EU Naval Force would continue to protect vulnerable shipping against pirate attacks and the Task Force Brigadier General Dick Swijgman (left), who recently assumed the role of Deputy Operation Commander of the EU Naval Force, presided over the handover on board the EU Naval Force flagship, FGS Brandenburg, in the port of Djibouti. f.l.t.r.: Rear Admiral Rando, Brigadier General Swijgman and Rear Admiral zur Mühlen. As part of her counter-piracy role within the EU Naval Force, Spanish frigate ESPS Navarra has completed an escort at sea of a World Food Programme (WFP) vessel along the coast of Somalia. The captain of the WFP vessel expressed his gratitude and appreciation for the assistance given by EU Naval Force warships to help keep World Food Programme ships safe from pirate attack. After seven months, Rear Admiral Bartolomé Bauzá (Spanish Navy) today handed over the role of Deputy Operation Commander (DCOM) of the European Union Naval Force Somalia – Operation Atalanta, to Brigadier General Dick Swijgman (Royal Netherlands Navy). The handover took place at the Operational Headquarters (OHQ) in Northwood, London. On Sunday morning 27 July a memorial service for the victims of Malaysia Airlines MH17 was held on board HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën. ESPS Navarra joined the EU Naval Force Somalia Operation Atalanta on Tuesday 22 July 2014. ESPS Navarra has a crew of 214 men and women on board.