As the Operation Atalanta flagship, HNLMS Tromp, and her embarked Force Headquarters staff prepare to leave the EU counter-piracy operation and return to The Netherlands, the Force Commander made a final trip to ESPS Relámpago to bid farewell to Spanish colleagues.
Both the Dutch and Spanish warships have been working closely together over the last few months in the ongoing operation to deter and disrupt piracy off the coast of Somalia and keep seafarers safe in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden.
The Force Commander, Dutch Commodore Luyckx, thanked the Spanish sailors for their work, which has included providing vital support to HNLMS Tromp during engagement visits ashore in Somalia and facilitating training exercises with regional maritime forces.
Following the visit, the Force Commander went back to the flagship to prepare for the visit to Berbera port on 4 December 2016, in collaboration with EUCAP Nestor and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.