On 17 January 2012, following coordination with a Danish Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft operating on a search mission for pirate ships, the Spanish Combat Supply Ship SPS PATIÑO, Flagship of Operation ATALANTA, assisted an Iranian flagged dhow which had run out of fuel off the Somali Coast.
The 11 man crew of the dhow, which was carrying a mixed load of cargo, expressed their thanks to the EU NAVFOR team for the fuel which was transferred by crane, before departing en-route to the nearest port.
EU NAVFOR Somalia Operation ATALANTA's tasks are to escort ships carrying humanitarian aid of the World Food Program (WFP) and vessels of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), to protect vulnerable vessels in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, and to deter and disrupt piracy. EU NAVFOR also monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.