Operation Atalanta News

Yemen's Houthis have been targeting vessels in the southern Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait in attacks that the Iran-aligned group says aim to support the Palestinians as Israel and Hamas wage war.Several freight firms including MSC, the world's largest container shipping line, said they would avoid the Suez Canal as a result, which could mean having to circumnavigate Africa instead.War risk insurance premiums have risen as a result.WHAT ARE THE RECENT HOUTHI ATTACKS?* Dec.

A private yacht with three Russians and two Egyptians on board has been reported missing in the Red Sea near the coast of Yemen for several days by its owner and the Russian embassy in Saudi Arabia.It was not immediately clear what had happened to the pleasure yacht named 30 Minutes which its owner said was heading to Djibouti to be sent onwards by ship to Dubai.The ship, which its owner said was registered in Panama, was not fitted with the standard AIS ship tracking system which…

EUNAVFOR Atalanta and both the Regional Maritime Information Fusion Center (RMIFC/Madagascar) and the Regional Coordination Operations Center (RCOC/Seychelles) conducted their first joint operation from September 21 to 24. This first Operation, named MARLIN, was aimed at strengthening maritime security in the Western Indian Ocean through sustainable collaboration between the States of the region and international partners. It contributed to the implementation of the cooperation agreement signed between EUNAVFOR Operation ATALANTA and the two regional centers in December 2021…

The European Union's counter-piracy outfit announced a new Deputy Commander has taken over to lead its maritime security operations off the coast of Somalia.European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia - Operation ATALANTA said RAdm Messina (Italian Navy) handed over the role of Deputy Operation Commander (DCOM) of the EU NAVFOR Somalia to RAdm Slaars (French Navy) during a ceremony presided by Operation Commander, Vice Admiral José M. Núñez Torrente at Operation Headquarters (OHQ) in Rota…

A merchant ship has reportedly been hijacked off the northeast coast of Somalia, marking the first successful hijacking by Somali pirates since 2017.The Panama-flagged ship was en route from the United Arab Emirates to Mogadishu port when it appeared to develop mechanical problems, Reuters reports.The 112-meter chemical tanker Aegean II was said to be attacked by six armed pirates on Wednesday night, according to maritime security intelligence group Dryad Global, who described the incident as an "isolated and opportunistic piratical activity which seized on a vessel in a vulnerable situation".According to Dryad Global, the Aegean II slowed from its 6-knot cruising speed to 1 knot, giving pirates a "window of opportunity" to attack.

A new Australian-built passenger ferry bound for service in the Canary Islands was escorted by EU anti-piracy forces as it made its way through one of the world's top piracy hot spots.The first of two new ferries built by Austal Australia for operator Fred. Olsen Express, the 118-meter trimaran fast ferry Bajamar Express requested support of EU NAVFOR Somalia Operation Atalanta for its along transit the International Recommended Transit Corridor through the Gulf of Aden and Bab al-Mandab Strait…

The European Union's counter-piracy military force said it continues to patrol and work with global partners to fight piracy at sea during the coronavirus pandemic. Seafarers face continuing threats from pirates and armed robbers, says the ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB), who reported 47 attacks in the first three months of 2020, up from 38 in the same period last year. Pirates boarded 37 ships in the first quarter of 2020.EU NAVFOR said ATALANTA remains full mission capable and ready to deter…

Operation ATALANTA Deputy Commander R. Adm. Giovanni Battista Piegaja spoke with French Base Commander Colonel Francois Tricot and Deputy COMFOR FFDJ Colonel Emmanuel Antoine, during a meeting with the French Forces stationed in Djibouti (FFDJ).The FFDJ hosts the Support Element ATALANTA (SEA) and the Maritime Patrol Reconnaissance Aircrafts (MPRA) Detachments from Spain and Germany on the Air Base (BA 188).During the meeting, R. Adm. Piegaja expressed gratitude to the French Armed Forces for the support they provide to the Operation ATALANTA MPRAs, the Support Element ATALANTA and the Autonomous Vessel Protection Detachments (AVPDs)…

European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia officially welcomed the ESPS Canarias as she began her most recent deployment with Operation Atalanta.The ESPS Canarias will sail with Operation Atalanta alongside the ITS Marceglia from the end of July 2019 until early November 2019, countering piracy and monitoring fishing activity off the Somali coast.Spain continues to show its commitment to the defense of international rights in the Area of Operations and has contributed naval assets, air assets and personnel to Operation Atalanta since its inception in 2008.The frigate “Canarias” (F-86) is the sixth and last unit of those which make up the 41st Squadron of Escorts class, “Santa María.” She was delivered to the Spanish Navy in December 1994.

Operation Atalanta Operation Headquarters (OHQ) welcomed a visit from Phillip Belcher, Marine Director at the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (INTERTANKO), as part of key EU NAVFOR relations with the shipping industry at a strategic level.Operation Atalanta, formally European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia, said in a press release that Belcher visited to hold a meeting regarding the latest developments in counter-piracy operations and the last incidents in the Indian Ocean.The meeting was chaired by Operation Atalanta’s Deputy Commander, Rear Admiral Giovanni Battista Piegaja. Also in the meeting were Operation Atalanta’s Political Advisors…

European Union’s first naval operation Operation Atalanta, launched in 2008 to prevent and deter piracy at sea off the Horn of Africa and in the Indian Ocean, said farewell to ITS Carlo Margottini on May 30, 2019.For the past three months, the Italian warship (hull number F592) has worked alongside the ESPS Navarra, countering piracy and monitoring fishing activities off the coast of Somalia. Previously, the ITS Carlo Margottini sailed with EU NAVFOR Operation Atalanta from 5 April to 6 August 2018.The frigate ITS Carlo Margottini is the third ship of the Bergamini Class, part of the French-Italian program FREMM (European Multi-Mission Frigates)…

The European Union’s counter-piracy force EU NAVFOR Somalia Operation Atalanta has revealed the scenerio after having responded to the attack on 21 April. The suspected pirates seized a fishing dhow off the coast of Somalia then, holding 23 people hostage.Two days later, the incident was over; Operation Atalanta had detained five suspects and released 23 hostages, it said. EU NAVFOR explained detailed of the operation.The incident began when five suspected pirates captured a fishing dhow off the coast of Somalia. The suspects proceeded to navigate the dhow along the coast, where they visited a pirate base camp and reinforced their crew with additional members.Next, using the captured dhow as a mother ship, the suspects attacked another fishing vessel, the FV Adria.

European Community Shipowners' Associations (ECSA)’s Maritime Security Working Group met with the EU NAVFOR Somalia Operation Atalanta at their operation headquarters in Rota, Spain. Representing the European shipping industry, the ECSA delegation met with the EU NAVFOR's team to discuss the current state of piracy off the coast of Somalia. The delegation also visited the naval assets participating in Operation Atalanta.For the past ten years, EU NAVFOR has deterred and prevented acts of piracy and armed robbery off the coast of Somalia, protected vessels of the World Food Programme (WFP) and African Union Mission Somalia (AMISOM), and monitored acts of illegal fishing."While it is true that today the number of attacks is minimal…

Due to the application of BMP protection measures by the Master, his crew and the private security team, the piracy attack was thwarted and the crew and vessel remained safe.The Master had already evacuated the crew to the citadel when the embarked Armed Security Team (PAST) responded to the attack. There was a sustained exchange of fire before the skiff with several armed people on board broke off and changed course away from the MV.Following the collective advice of industry and military counter-piracy operations, as written down in Best Management practices 5 (link here), the Master’s actions and the on board security team’s reaction…

The headquarters of the EU’s anti-piracy missions off the coast of Somalia will be moved from the UK to Spain next year as EU leaders revealed the latest consequence of Brexit."EU NAVFOR confirms that following the decision from the Council of the European Union the mandate of Operation ATALANTA will continue until 31 December 2020," said a press release. EU NAVFOR Somalia, also known as Operation Atalanta, is a current counter-piracy military operation at sea off the Horn of Africa and in the Western Indian Ocean, that is the first undertaken by the European Union Naval Force.The mandate extension signals the EU’s commitment to continuing counter-piracy operations off the Somali coast.

The crew members from ESPS Rayo continued the regional cooperation EU NAVFOR has established with the AMISOM Marine unit off the coast of Mogadishu. This was the third time this year that EU NAVFOR has had the opportunity to exercise and train with AMISOM forces. This visit to Mogadishu followed on from ESPS Relampago in February and ESPS Galicia in May. The training included briefings and exercises on fire fighting, search and rescue, first aid and boarding procedures. Maritime training with regional partners, such as AMISOM, is an extremely important aspect of Operation Atalanta’s work to deter piracy off the coast of Somalia. The…

A team of antipiracy personnel currently on patrol off Somalia has deployed an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to help scan for potential pirate activity in the region. As part of the counter-piracy military operation EU NAVFOR Somalia, also known as Operation Atalanta, the UAV crew from Spain’s 11th Squadron has been conducting air surveillance and reconnaissance patrols off the Somali coast using its ScanEagle drone from the deck of Spanish Navy ship ESPS Galicia. Once in the air…

The European Council has extended the mandate for European Union Naval Force Somalia (EU NAVFOR) - Operation ATALANTA - until 31 December 2018, which means Cohort company MASS will continue to provide the Classified Mission Network for the enduring Operation. Operation ATALANTA was launched in December 2008 to contribute to the deterrence, prevention and repression of acts of piracy and armed robbery off the Somali coast. The operation also protects vessels of the World Food Programme and other vulnerable shipping, monitors fishing activities off the coast of Somalia and supports other EU missions and programmes in the region. MASS provides the core operational mission network for the effective command and control of this multi-national Operation both ashore and afloat.

​Merchant shipping should continue to take protective measures against possible piracy attacks in the Gulf of Aden and the western Indian Ocean through diligent application of International Maritime Organization (IMO) guidance and Best Management Practices (BMPs). IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim and Operation Commander Major General Rob Magowan of the EU Naval Force Operation Atalanta, which operates off the coast of Somalia, reiterated this key message when they met at IMO Headquarters in London on 6 October. The two agreed that naval forces are still very much required in the West Indian Ocean to help prevent a possible resurgence of piracy and Lim welcomed the extension of the Operation Atalanta counter-piracy mandate to the end of 2018.

The European Union's naval mission will keep patrolling for pirates off the coast of Somalia for another two years, to guard against any resurgence of attacks, the bloc said on Monday. The number of raids and kidnappings has fallen - though maritime officials have warned that the risk is still, underlined by two attempted attacks last month. NATO said last week it had ended its own mission off the Horn of Africa, as it shifts resources to deterring Russia in the Black Sea and people smugglers in the Mediterranean. But the EU said it would extend the EUNAVFOR Somalia Operation Atalanta until the end of 2018, allowing it to keep guarding U.N. aid deliveries.

The European Council has extended Operation Atalanta’s mandate to deter, disrupt and repress acts of piracy off the coast of Somalia through December 31, 2018. Operation Atalanta’s two-year mandate extension, enacted on November 25, 2016, comes amidst concerns within European Union Member States that whilst pirate attacks on merchant ships transiting the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean are currently suppressed, pirates still have the intent and capability to go out to sea and mount an attack.

The European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) welcomes the European Council’s decision of 25 November to extend the mandate of Atalanta, the European Union’s counter-piracy operation along the East African coast. “The two-year mandate extension comes at the right moment”, said ECSA Secretary General Patrick Verhoeven, “Pirate attacks on merchant ships have been significantly reduced over the years compared to when the operation started in 2008, but a recent armed attack on a chemical tanker shows that piracy is unfortunately still alive along the coast of Somalia,” he added. The EU, together with other international partners and industry…

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has welcomed the extension of EUNAVFOR Operation Atalanta, following a decision by the EU Council, which will continue to see military forces deployed for counter piracy operations in the Western Indian Ocean until December 2018. ICS Secretary General, Peter Hinchliffe said “The presence of military forces is an essential component of the package of government actions that has helped to suppress the activities of Somali pirates, in support of the protective measures that continue to be taken by the shipping industry. “While other security concerns now draw the attention of the international community…