On Sunday 22 May 2016 the crew of the current, and indeed 46th Spanish Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRA) ‘Orion’ Detachment based in Djibouti, completed a two-month tour off the coast of Somalia.
As they head for home, a new crew of Spanish Air Force pilots, cabin crew, maintenance and medical staff are now gearing up to be the 47th rotation of what is part of Spain’s contribution to the European Union’s counter-piracy efforts off the coast of Somalia.
It has been a busy period for the 46th rotation, with 25 flying missions and 210 flying hours completed. The missions have been made possible thanks to the excellent support of a highly-trained and efficient maintenance and support team.
The contribution of MPRAs to Atalanta is crucial to the success of the operation. They act as the ‘eyes in the skies’ for the Force Commander, Rear Admiral Kaack, as they patrol far out to sea and along the Somali coastline looking for any potential pirate activity.
Spain has contributed MPRAs, warships and staff officers to Operation Atalanta since it was launched to deter and disrupt acts of Somali piracy in December 2008.