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 >>
Somaliland representatives, including Vice President Abdirahman Abdallahi Ismail Saylici were welcomed on board by Force Commander of the EU Naval Force, Rear Admiral Hervé Bléjean. French EU Naval Force flagship, FS Siroco hosted a meeting with Somaliland representatives, who were transported to the flagship with the Siroco's own boats. Somaliland representatives were welcomed by Mr Etienne de Poncins, Head of Mission of the European Union’s maritime security capacity building mission, EUCAP Nestor. Somaliland representatives, including officers of the Somaliland Coast Guard met on the EU Naval Force flagship as a stepping stone for technical cooperation between EUCAP Nestor, Operation Atalanta and Somaliland. Mr Etienne de Poncins, Head of Mission of the European Union’s maritime security capacity building mission, EUCAP Nestor presenting the Somaliland Vice President Abdirahman Abdallahi Ismail Saylici with the EUCAP Nestor certificate. Force Commander of the EU Naval Force, Rear Admiral Hervé Bléjean presenting the Vice President Abdirahman Abdallahi Ismail Saylici with the EU Naval Force crest. As the recovery of the sunken skiff has taken some time, the Italian chefs on board ITS Libeccio kindly prepared packed lunches for all the fishermen, who were very appreciative of the good will gesture. The Italian Navy crew quickly approached the capsized skiff and after righting it, emptied the water out. Finally the crew of ITS Libeccio managed to recover the sunken skiff. On Friday 13 December EU Naval Force frigate, ITS Libeccio came to the assistance of a Yemini fishing dhow that was sailing along the Somali coast. Since the EU Naval Force commenced counter piracy operations in December 2008, over 300 seafarers have been rescued or given humanitarian assistance at sea. Due to poor weather conditions, one of two skiffs that were being towed astern of the fishing dhow had capsized and started to sink. As promised, FS Siroco then returned to the stricken vessel. Upon arrival, the master said that he had arranged for a dhow to tow his vessel back to land and the vessel was now safe. Last Monday 9 December, EU Naval Force flagship FS Siroco came to the assistance of seafarers who had been adrift at sea for more than two days after their boat suffered engine failure. The seafarers, who were very tired and hungry attracted the attention of the French warship, which was conducting European Union counter piracy patrols, by waving their arms as the ship sailed close by. The guard line up for the operational handover. From left to right: Rear Admiral Jean Martens, Rear Admiral Hervé Bléjean and the Head of Mission of EUCAP Nestor Mr. Etienne de Poncins. From left to right: Commodore Peter Lenselink, Rear Admiral Jean Martens and Rear Admiral Hervé Bléjean. The new European Union Naval Force flagship FS Siroco. Commissioned in 1998, FS Siroco is a Foudre class Landing Ships Dock ( LPDH). The ship is 168 metres long and has a displacement of 12,000 tonnes. She accommodates a crew of 294 and has embarked for this operation marines and an ALIII helicopter. FS Siroc FS Siroco is perfectly suited for the role as Force Headquarter. This is the first time that FS Siroco has taken part in the EU Naval Force to fight piracy. On Friday 6 December 2013, the French Navy ship FS Siroco joined the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia Operation Atalanta. FS Siroco will be the flagship of the European Union’s counter piracy operation off the coast of Somalia for the next four months. After departing from her home port of Toulon on 18 November, FS Siroco has conducted an intensive period of operational training, including training of the ship's Boarding Team at the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operation Training Center (NMIOTC) in Greece On Saturday 1 December, an EU Naval Force Autonomous Vessel Protection Detachment (AVPD) handover ceremony was held in Djibouti between Lithuanian and Serbian Forces in Djibouti. The AVPD handover ceremony was attended by Brigidier General Vilmantas Tamosaitis (Lithuanian Forces), Brigadier General Ilija Todorov (Serbian Forces) and WFP representative, Mr Jacques Higgins. Members of the Lithuanian Forces have spent the past four months embarked in the World Food Programme (WFP) aid ship, MV Caroline Scan, providing protection from pirate attack as the ship sailed close to the Somali coast. Members of the Serbian Forces will now be embarked in MV Caroline Scan for four months. Since the European Union Naval Force began providing protection to WFP ships, none have been attacked by pirates and over 730,000 metric tonnes of much-needed food aid has been safely delivered to the Somali people. Lithuania hands over EU Naval Force Vessel Protection Duties to Serbian Forces after keeping World Food Programme Ships safe for four months. On Tuesday 3 December, 350 military men and women serving on board the Dutch flagship HNLMS Johan de Witt received the EU Naval Force medal for their contribution to the European Union’s counter piracy Operation Atalanta. During the medal ceremony which was held on the flight deck in the Gulf of Aden, the international staff and ship’s company were decorated by the Force Commander of Atalanta, commodore Peter Lenselink of the Royal Netherlands Navy. On Tuesday 3 December, Spanish Ocean Patrol Vessel, ESPS Tornado joined the European Union’s counter piracy task force operating off the coast of Somalia. The warship will be part of the EU Naval Force for four months as Spain’s contribution to Operation Commissioned in 2012, ESPS Tornado is the fourth in the series of modern and multipurpose OPVs in the Spanish Navy. She is 95 metres in length and has a displacement of 2,500 tonnes. She can accommodate a crew of 86 and has 11 marines and an AB 212 helicopter embarked. Before joining EU Naval Force, ESPS Tornado conducted an intensive programme of training, including “Calificación Operativa” (CALOP) in Cartagena and Rota, Spain. Spanish warship ESPS Meteoro has successfully completed its participation in the European Union Naval Force Somalia, Operation Atalanta. The Spanish warship carried out 79 friendly approaches. ESPS Meteoro also provided technical assistance to a stricken dhow. The Spanish warship conducted three joint training missions with local Coast Guards. During her time with the EU Naval Force, the ship spent 121 days at sea and navigated 18,000 nautical miles.