Press Releases

On Wednesday 15 July Major General Martin Smith MBE welcomed Ambassadors from European Union countries to the EU Naval Force HQ in London.  The Ambassadors were given an update on ‘Atalanta’, the code name for the European Union’s counter-piracy operation off the coas

The Council of the European Union has extended the EU's counter-piracy Operation Atalanta by two more years, until 12 December 2016.

The flagship of the EU Naval Force, ITS Andrea Doria, is visiting Dubai in support of the UAE Counter-Piracy Week.

On Thursday 28 August Rear Admiral Bob Tarrant handed over command of the European Union’s counter-piracy mission, Operation Atalanta, to Major General Martin Smith MBE.

On 29 January 2014, international collaboration in the fight against piracy resulted in the transfer of five men by the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia Operation Atalanta flagship, FS Siroco, to the Republic of Seychelles, with the aim of prosecuting them for acts

Just a few weeks after the Operation Commander of the EU Naval Force, Rear Admiral Bob Tarrant, issued another warning about the on-going piracy threat, there have been two more piracy related incidents off the Somali coast.

If there was ever a good reason to heed naval forces’ warnings about the continuing threat from Somali piracy, then an attack on a super tanker is surely one of them.

On Wednesday 2 October 2013 eleven pirates were convicted in the Seychelles Supreme Court of committing acts of piracy and operating a pirate vessel between 7 - 11 May 2012. Their sentences ranged from 18 months to 16 years.

On 4 September 2013, off the coast of Mogadishu, the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Atalanta hosted the President of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, on board the Dutch EU NAVFOR flagship, HNLMS Johan de Witt.

Earlier today, Thursday 22 August 2013, a Spanish Maritime Patrol Aircraft from EU Naval Force overflew the pirate controlled fishing vessel FV Naham 3 and observed that the vessel had moved from its sea anchorage to a Somali beach in the Galmudug region.

Earlier today, Tuesday 6 August, Commodore Jorge Novo Palma Portuguese Navy handed over the Force Command of EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia Operation Atalanta to Commodore Peter Lenselink Royal Netherlands Navy during a change of command ceremony aboard NRP Álvare