Press Releases

Sailors from the EU Naval Force French Navy frigate, FS Courbet, have provided support and reassurance to the crew of the freed fuel tanker, Aris 13, as she sailed along the coast of Somalia.

On Friday 24 February 2017 Rear Admiral Rafael Fernández-Pintado Muñoz-Rojas assumed the role of Force Commander of the European Union’s counter-piracy Operation Atalanta on board his flagship, ESPS Galicia, during a ceremony held in Djibouti port.

During her port visit to the Seychelles, ESPS Relampago’s crew took the opportunity to carry out a range of maritime training exercises with the Seychelles Maritime Police, Coastguard and Air force.

During their port visit to Dar Es Salaam, sailors and marines from Operation Atalanta’s warship, ESPS Relampago, took the opportunity to train with members of the Tanzanian Police Force and Navy.

The crew of EU Naval Force Spanish warship, ESPS Relampago, were delighted to welcome aboard Commodore Hadyn Edmundson Royal Canadian Navy, during their port visit to Tanzania.

On Friday 13 January 2017 the Commanding Officer of Operation Atalanta warship, ESPS Relampago, Lieutenant Commander Francisco Garcia Flores, welcomed EU Member State Ambassadors aboard during a port visit to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.

Earlier this week Operation Atalanta’s Croatian Maritime Protection Team was awarded the Common Security and Defence Policy service medal in recognition of their outstanding work off the coast of Somalia as part of the EU’s counter-piracy Operation Atalanta.

One of the key roles for the EU Naval Force is to ensure that World Food Programme (WFP) vessels that have to sail close to the coast of Somalia in order to deliver humanitarian aid to the Somali people, arrive safely in port.  And during the past few weeks, EU Naval

EU sister-missions, EUCAP Nestor and EU Naval Force Somalia (EU NAVFOR Operation Atalanta), recently held a series of meetings with state government officials and local leaders in Bossasso, in the Puntland state of Somalia.

On Saturday 6 August Rear Admiral Jan Kaack (German Navy) handed over Force Command of the EU’s counter-piracy Operation Atalanta to Commodore René Luyckx (Netherlands Navy).

On Saturday 6 August 2016 Operation Atalanta welcomed back Dutch frigate, HNLMS Tromp, to the EU Naval Force off the coast of Somalia.

On Friday 29 July 2016 Rear Admiral Jonas Wikstrӧm (Swedish Navy) handed over the role of Deputy Operation Commander (DCOM) of the European Union’s counter-piracy operation off the coast of Somalia to Rear Admiral Cristobal Gonzalez-Aller (Spanish Navy).