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On Saturday 6 April Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte visited frigate HNLMS De Ruyter which is currently deployed with the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia Operation Atalanta off the coast of Somalia.

The Portuguese Frigate NRP Álvares Cabral joined the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia – Operation Atalanta on 6 April 2013, in Djibouti.

Swedish Ocean Patrol Vessel (OPV) HSwMS Carlskrona joined the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia - Operation Atalanta on 6 April 2013, in Djibouti.

On 3 April 2013, whilst on counter piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden, Rear Admiral Pedro García de Paredes, who is the Force Commander of EU NAVFOR, met with the Commander of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) counter-piracy task force, Rear Admiral Giam Hock

On 3 April, German Frigate FGS Karlsruhe handed over counter piracy duties to her sister ship FGS Augsburg in a ceremony held in the port of Djibouti following a successful 5 month deployment as part of EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia - Operation Atalanta.

Whilst departing from the port of Salalah, Oman, after a brief logistic stop, the EU’s counter-piracy flagship, ESPS Méndez Núñez enjoyed a brief rendezvous with fellow EU Naval Force warship HNLMS De Ruyter, who was about to enter the Omani port.

Whilst operating in the Gulf of Aden as a part of the EU Naval Force counter-piracy mission, Operation Atalanta, the Dutch frigate HNLMS De Ruyter has refueled from the US auxiliary ship USNS Medgar Evers.

On the morning of 27 March, the helicopter of Dutch EU Naval Force warship HNLMS De Ruyter landed on the flight deck of the Spanish EU Naval Force vessel ESPS Rayo, becoming the first helicopter from another Operation Atalanta unit to land on the Spanish warship.

The Deputy Operation Commander of EU Naval Force, Rear Admiral Eric Dupont (French Navy) recently visited Djibouti when on a regional visit to the Operation Atalanta area of operations.

Currently it is the 12th rotation of the P3C Orion Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRS) and its support group, serving since 20 February with the EU Naval Force.

The Spanish Oceanic Patrol Vessel ESPS Rayo, as part of the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia - Operation Atalanta, has taken advantage of her second port visit in Djibouti to conduct training on 20 and 21 March 2013 with the Djiboutian Navy and Coast Guard.

Some contributing nations support the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia – Operation Atalanta with specialised assets to counter piracy off the Horn of Africa. Estonia supports Operation Atalanta with a Vessel Protection Detachment (VPD) on board the French frigate FS Courbet.