Operation ATALANTA is an EU Military Mission established on 8 December 2008 in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1814, 1816 and 1838, to contribute to the deterrence and repression of acts of piracy and armed robbery off the Somali coast.
Rear Admiral Peter Hudson Royal Navy is appointed as the Operation Commander for the EU’s first Naval Operation, within the framework of the European Security and Defence Policy, and leads the Operation Command Headquarters of 76 staff based at Northwood, UK.
At any one time the EU NAVFOR will comprise of up to 6 Frigates and 3 to 5 Maritime Patrol Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRA).
The mission is divided into three key areas:
The following EU Member States have committed assets to EUNAVFOR - Greece, France, Belgium, Sweden, Netherlands, Norway, Germany, Italy, Spain and UK.
EU Warships are working closely with World Food Programme. So far, we have delivered food into Somalia that will feed more than 2 million people. The force has been heavily involved in counter piracy in the Gulf of Aden helping to protect many of the 25000 ships that transit the region every year. EU has established the Maritime Security Centre Horn of Africa in partnership with industry to improve coordination between commercial shipping and international military forces in the region.
With up to 95% of EU member state’ trade (by volume) transported by sea and 20% of Global trade passing through the Gulf of Aden, EUNAVFOR provide considerable focus to safeguard trade through this strategic area.
The Maritime Security Centre – Horn of Africa (MSCHOA) is an initiative established by EUNAVFOR with close co-operation from industry. The MSC(HOA) centre provides 24 hour manned monitoring of vessels transiting through the Gulf of Aden whilst the provision of an interactive website enables the Centre to communicate the latest anti-piracy guidance to industry and for Shipping Companies and operators to register their movements through the region.
Finally in between routine or baseline operations, EUNAVFOR conducts focused operations aimed at achieving specific effects within a given area or time window. By concentrating forces to achieve specific effects EUNAVFOR can provide influence, deterrence or insight into legitimate and illicit activities in order to better co-ordinate future activities to deter piracy and armed robbery and thus reassure legitimate merchant mariners.