EU Naval Force - Somalia
Operation ATALANTA

His Excellency Ambassador of Spain to Ethiopia, Djibouti and Seychelles, Mr. Borja Montesino Martínez del Cerro, visited the EU NAVFOR Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRA) Spanish Orion Detachment in Djibouti recently.

The Ambassador presided over a ceremony of remembrance to honour fallen soldiers. After the event, he addressed the Spanish Air Force detachment, expressing gratitude for their hard work and commitment during the 9 years and over 10,000 flying hours of deployment in the fight against piracy in the waters of Somalia.

The Commanding Officer of the Detachment, Lieutenant Colonel, Javier Caballero Calzada, gave the Ambassador a briefing about their role on Operation Atalanta and accompanied him on a visit to the Spanish facilities within the French Base, as well as the P-3 Orion aircraft belonging to the 11^th Wing from Morón AFB.

The Spanish MPRA have been a key element in the fight against piracy in the waters of the Indian Ocean, collaborating with Naval Units of EU NAVFOR Somalia and Combined Maritime Forces to provide overwatch of important shipping lanes, thereby enabling the safe passage of merchant vessels.