On 27 January 2012, the Spanish Chief of Defense, Admiral Fernando García Sánchez, visited the EU NAVFOR Flagship, ESPS PATIÑO alongside in Djibouti, accompanied by the Spanish Chief of the Navy, Admiral Manuel Rebollo, Chief of the Air Force, General Jose Jimenez Ruiz, Commander of the Joint Command for Operations, Lt. Gen Jaime Dominguez and the EU NAVFOR Operation Commander, Rear Admiral Duncan Potts RN.
The visiting Officers were welcomed onboard ESPS PATIÑO by the newly promoted Force Commander, Rear Admiral Jorge Manso, who briefed them on the missions, challenges and achievements of the Operation. The Chief of Defence addressed the ship’s company on the flightdeck and congratulated them on their continuing efforts to combat piracy off the Horn of Africa and ensure food-aid is safely delivered to Somalia, commenting that they showed “great effort and dedication”.
As part of the visit, the Operation Commander had previously met with Chief of the French Forces, Brig. Gen. William Kurtz to discuss the current situation in Somalia, the support made by Djiboutian Forces to AMISOM, the Transitional Federal Government troops and the options for developing new strategies to combat piracy. Other key engagements were to meet the Djiboutian Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Chief of the Djiboutian Navy and the Commander of the Spanish Maritime Patrol Aircraft Detachment, Lt. Col Pablo, to be briefed on the aircraft capabilities and results.