July 2015

On 25 July 2015, staff from Operation Atalanta Force Headquarters visited the Japanese Detachment of Combined Task Force (CTF) 151 in Djibouti.

On Saturday 25 July 2015, EU Naval Force Commander, Rear Admiral Alfonso Gomez Fernando de Cordoba, welcomed the Chief of the Djiboutian Navy, Colonel Abdourahman Aden Cher, on board Operation Atalanta flagship, ESPS Galicia.

Spanish warship, ESPS Galicia, recently reached the halfway point in her deployment as the flagship for Operation Atalanta; the EU's counter-piracy operation off the coast of Somalia.

Colombian Navy warship, ARC 7 de Agosto, recently completed sea trials with the Spanish Navy prior to her collaboration with Operation Atalanta off the coast of Somalia.

The dentist on board Operation Atalanta flagship, ESPS Galicia, provides dentistry services to all the crew members on board to ensure that they remain fully fit to carry out their operational role.

Whilst conducting counter-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden, EU Naval Force flagship, ESPS Galicia, responded to a mayday call from an Italian merchant vessel, MV Altina. The merchant vessel had developed engine problems and was drifting at sea.

On 15 July 2015, EU Naval Force Commander, Rear Admiral Alfonso Gómez Fernández de Córdoba, assumed the counter-piracy coordination role from the Combined Task Force (CTF) 151 commander, Rear Admiral Hiroshi Ito, during a meeting at sea on board Operation Atalanta fla

On 16 July 2015, crew members from ESPS Galicia celebrated Spanish Navy Day on board with a naval procession of the Holy Carmen Virgin, patron saint of the Spanish Navy, followed by religious ceremonies in the ship’s hangar.

On Wednesday 15 July Major General Martin Smith MBE welcomed Ambassadors from European Union countries to the EU Naval Force HQ in London.  The Ambassadors were given an update on ‘Atalanta’, the code name for the European Union’s counter-piracy operation off the coas

In July 2015 the German Maritime Patrol P3C-Orion aircraft completed a three month detachment with Operation Atalanta off the coast of Somalia.

After completing four months of counter-piracy patrols with Operation Atalanta, Spanish warship, ESPS Infanta Cristina, is on her way home to her homeport of Cartagena in Spain.

During her 4 month deployment with Operation Atalanta, Spanish warship, ESPS Infanta Cristina, performed more than 70 friendly approaches along the coast of Somalia and the Indian Ocean.

On Tuesday 30 June 2015, during a port visit to Djibouti, the Force Commander, Rear Admiral Alfonso Gómez Fernández de Córdoba, took the opportunity to visit Operation Atalanta and EUCAP Nestor personnel.

During a recent counter-piracy patrol off the coast of Somalia, Operation Atalanta flagship, ESPS Galicia, conducted a Replenishment At Sea (RAS) with French Navy ship, FS Var.  A RAS is a highly-specialized manoeuvre that is carried out by highly-skilled teams on board both ships.  During the RAS,

Operation Atalanta warship, ITS Libeccio, carried out counter-piracy training with the Royal Omani Navy during a port visit to Salalah.

During ESPS Galicia’s recent port visit to the Seychelles, the Operation Atalanta Force Commander, Rear Admiral Gómez Fernández de Córdoba, visited key government officials.  The Force Commander called upon the office of the President, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Blue Economy and th

On Tuesday 30 June the Finnish Ambassador to United Kingdom, His Excellency Mr Pekka Huhtaniemi, and the Commander of the Finnish Navy, Rear Admiral Kari Takanen, visited the EU Naval Force Operational Headquarters (OHQ) in Northwood.