Joint Hq News

On 13 January 2011, Rear Admiral Thomas J. Ernst (German Navy) handed over the responsibility of Deputy Operation Commander of the European Union Naval Force Somalia, Operation ATALANTA to Rear Admiral Guido Rando (Italian Navy). The handover was conducted in the Operation Headquarters in Northwood, near London. Rear Admiral Ernst, who joined the operation in June 2010, has played an important part in the continued success of EU NAVFOR and the execution of the Operation ATALANTA mission.

On 11 Dec 2009, Rear Admiral Thorsten Kaehler (German Navy) handed over the responsibility of Deputy Operation Commander of the European Union Naval Force Somalia Operation ATALANTA, the EU anti-piracy campaign in the Horn of Africa area, to Rear Admiral Bartolomé Bauzá (Spanish navy). The handover was conducted in the Operational Headquarters in Northwood near London. Rear Admiral Bartolomé Bauzá, prior to his new task, had assignments in Joint HQ, Fleet HQ, and Navy HQ (his last tour as DACOS Plans & Policy and Head of the Strategic Planning Branch).