Italian ship Carabiniere off the coast of Somalia

Operation Atalanta, formally European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia, is an ongoing counter-piracy military operation at sea off the

Horn of Africa The Horn of Africa (HoA), also known as the Somali Peninsula, is a large peninsula and geopolitical region in East Africa.Robert Stock, ''Africa South of the Sahara, Second Edition: A Geographical Interpretation'', (The Guilford Press; 2004), ...

and in the Western Indian Ocean, that is the first naval

operation Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...

conducted by the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

(EU), in support of United Nations resolutions 1814, 1816, 1838, and 1846 adopted in 2008 by the

United Nations Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, an ...

. Since 29 March 2019, the operational headquarters is located at

Naval Station Rota Naval Station Rota, also known as NAVSTA Rota (), is a Spanish naval base, that is jointly used by the Spanish Navy and the United States Navy. Located in Rota in the Province of Cádiz, NAVSTA Rota is the largest American military community in ...

(NAVSTA Rota) in Spain, having moved from London as a result of the British withdrawal from the EU. It is part of a larger global action by the EU to prevent and combat acts of

piracy in the Indian Ocean Piracy in the 21st century (commonly known as modern piracy) has taken place in a number of waters around the globe, including but not limited to, the Gulf of Guinea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Strait of Malacca, Sulu and Celebes Seas, Indian Oc ...

, and it is the first EU naval operation to be launched. It cooperates with the multinational

Combined Task Force 151 Combined Task Force 151 (CTF-151) is a multinational naval task force, set up in 2009 as a response to piracy attacks in the Gulf of Aden and off the eastern coast of Somalia. Its mission is to disrupt piracy and armed robbery at sea and to engag ...

of the US-led

Combined Maritime Forces United States Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) is the United States Navy element of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM). Its area of responsibility includes the Red Sea, Gulf of Oman, Persian Gulf, and Arabian Sea. It consists of the ...

(CMF) and NATO's anti-piracy

Operation Ocean Shield Operation Ocean Shield was NATO's contribution to Operation Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa (OEF-HOA), an anti-piracy initiative in the Indian Ocean, Guardafui Channel, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea. It follows the earlier Operation All ...

. The mission was launched in December 2008 with a focus on protecting

Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...

-bound vessels and shipments belonging to the

WFP The World Food Programme (WFP) is an international organization within the United Nations that provides food assistance worldwide. It is the world's largest humanitarian organization and the leading provider of school meals. Founded in 1961 ...

and

AMISOM The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) was a Multinational force formed by the African Union. The operation deployed to Somalia soon after the Islamic Courts Union was deposed by troops from Ethiopia during War in Somalia (2006–2009), ...

, as well as select other vulnerable shipments. In addition, Operation Atalanta monitors fishing activity on the regional seaboard. In 2012, the scope of the mission expanded to include Somali coastal territories and internal waters so as to co-ordinate counter-piracy operations with Somalia's

Transitional Federal Government The Transitional Federal Government (TFG) (, , ) was internationally recognized as a provisional government of the Somalia from 14 October 2004 until 20 August 2012. It was established in Nairobi, Kenya, following the Transitional National Govern ...

(TFG) and regional administrations. On 16 July 2012, the EU also mandated the EUCAP Nestor mission to build up the maritime capacity of regional navies. In July 2018, the

Council of the European Union The Council of the European Union, often referred to in the treaties and other official documents simply as the Council, and less formally known as the Council of Ministers, is the third of the seven institutions of the European Union (EU) a ...

extended the Mandate of Operation ATALANTA until December 2020. On 1 January 2021, the Council Decision (CFSP) 2020/2188 of 22 December 2020 that extended again the mandate of the EU NAVFOR Somalia Operation ATALANTA for another two years was implemented.

Overview

Under EU Council Joint Action 851, which is based on various UN resolutions, Operation ATALANTA: * Protects vessels of the

World Food Programme The World Food Programme (WFP) is an international organization within the United Nations that provides food assistance worldwide. It is the world's largest humanitarian organization and the leading provider of school meals. Founded in 1961 ...

(WFP),

African Union Mission in Somalia The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) was a Multinational force formed by the African Union. The operation deployed to Somalia soon after the Islamic Courts Union was deposed by troops from Ethiopia during a large scale invasion in l ...

(AMISOM) and other vulnerable shipping; * Deters and disrupts

piracy Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...

and armed robbery at sea; * Monitors fishing activities off the coast of Somalia; * Supports other EU missions and international organisations working to strengthen maritime security and capacity in the region. The Operation's mission evolved over its first ten years. On 8 December 2009, monitoring of fishing activity was formally added to the mandate. Although it took time for the data to lead to direct legal consequences, DG MARE has subsequently used the information EU NAVFOR provides to build sanctions cases against foreign governments. On 17 December 2018 the EU Council granted permission for EU NAVFOR to share data on forms of maritime crime other than piracy with INTERPOL and EUROPOL. Council Decision (CFSP) 2020/2188 extended the mandate of the EU NAVFOR Somalia Op. ATALANTA for another two years until the end of 2022. With this latest mandate extension, besides operation's core tasks, there were included some non-executive secondary tasks: * Support other EU missions and instruments in Somalia upon request. * Contribute to the monitoring of fishing activity off the coast of Somalia. * Contribute to the monitoring of narcotics drugs trafficking, weapons trafficking, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and charcoal illicit trade off the coast of Somalia. * Contribute to the EU integrated approach to Somalia and the relevant activities of the international community. * Support the promotion of the overall regional maritime security architecture, the relevant programmes implemented by the commission and to reinforce the already developed links with the Regional Maritime Information Fusion Centre (RMIFC) in Madagascar and the Regional Operational Coordination Centre. Finally, the new mandate includes the possibility to activate as an executive secondary task, the contribution to the disruption of drug and weapons trafficking inside EU NAVFOR Somalia area of operations. Located in Brest (FR) and depending on the Headquarters of Operation ATALANTA, is the Maritime Security Centre – Horn of Africa (MSCHOA), an initiative established by the European Union Naval Force, with close co-operation from industry. The MSCHOA 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. Participation in EU NAVFOR goes beyond EU member states. Norway was the first non-EU country to contribute to the Operation, with a warship in 2009. Thereafter Croatia (pre-Accession), Montenegro, Serbia, Ukraine and the Republic of Korea have provided staff officers either to the Operational Headquarters (OHQ) or to the Force Headquarters (FHQ). Ukraine contributed a warship early in 2014, and New Zealand contributed an MPRA asset (a

Lockheed P-3 Orion The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engined, turboprop Anti-submarine warfare, anti-submarine and maritime patrol aircraft, maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. It is based on the Lockheed ...

of No. 5 Squadron RNZAF) later the same year. The Republic of Korea formally joined EU NAVFOR on 27 February 2017. Around 700 personnel are involved in ATALANTA, with the size of the force typically varying between 1–6 surface combat vessels and 1–3

Maritime Patrol Aircraft A maritime patrol aircraft (MPA), also known as a patrol aircraft, maritime reconnaissance aircraft, maritime surveillance aircraft, or by the older American term patrol bomber, is a fixed-wing aircraft designed to operate for long durations over ...

. In 2019, the budget was around €5 million for the common costs of the mandate. For 2021 the budget will be €4.4 million for the common costs of the mandate. The operation takes its name from the mythological Greek heroine

Atalanta Atalanta (; ) is a heroine in Greek mythology. There are two versions of the huntress Atalanta: one from Arcadia (region), Arcadia, whose parents were Iasus and Clymene (mythology), Clymene and who is primarily known from the tales of the Caly ...

Judicial international co-operation to end impunity

Piracy has to be understood as organised criminal activity occurring at sea. It is organised on land, with kidnapping crews and ships for ransom as the business model. Prosecution of piracy suspects is a key component of the overall fight against piracy. The EU NAVFOR seeks, where possible, a legal finish. Transfers of suspect pirates for trial to competent authorities remain necessary to put an end to impunity in the Indian Ocean. The EU is assisting the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in their work to establish sufficient conditions to allow fair and efficient piracy trials in Somalia. The EU is the largest contributor to the UNODC counter-piracy programme. In the short term, transfers for trial from EU NAVFOR ships remain necessary to put an end to impunity in the Indian Ocean.

Prelude

The Transitional Federal Government of Somalia wrote to the President of the

asking for international help to fight piracy and armed robbery against ships off the coast of Somalia. In June 2008, the Council unanimously passed Resolution 1816 authorising nations that have the agreement of the Transitional Federal Government to enter Somali territorial waters to deal with pirates. The measure, which was sponsored by France, the United States and

Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...

, was to last six months. France initially wanted the resolution to include other regions with pirate problems, such as West Africa, but were opposed by

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...

and

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

, who wanted the sovereignty infringement limited to Somalia.

Highlights

Operation Atalanta formally commenced on 8 December 2008 in accordance with the mandate laid down in UNSC Resolution 1814. On 1 January 2009, eight Somali suspects were captured by the French aviso as they attempted to seize a Panamanian-registered cargo ship () some 50 nautical miles south of Yemen. On 14 April 2009, the French frigate (F 732), attached to Operation Atalanta, captured 11 suspected pirates, together with their

mother ship A mother ship, mothership or mother-ship is a large vehicle that leads, serves, or carries other smaller vehicles. A mother ship may be a maritime ship, aircraft, or spacecraft. Examples include bomber aircraft, bombers converted to carry exp ...

and two skiffs, in an EU NAVFOR focused operation carried out in the Indian Ocean. The French ship responded to the distress message by the 21,000 tonne Liberia-flagged which came under small arms and

RPG RPG may refer to: Military * Rocket-propelled grenade, a shoulder-launched anti-tank weapon **''Ruchnoi Protivotankoviy Granatomyot'' (Russian: ''Ручной Противотанковый Гранатомёт''), hand-held anti-tank grenade laun ...

attack from two skiffs operating from a pirate mother ship. The warship deployed its helicopter, which quickly arrived on the scene, to deter the hijacking and shadow the mother vessel until the frigate arrived. On 26 May 2009, the EU Naval Task Force vessel HSwMS ''Malmö'' responded to a distress call from the European cargo vessel and apprehended seven suspected pirates. From 5 to 7 March 2010, forces from France, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain and Sweden were in action; the French frigate secured its "biggest seizure" to-date in a vital shipping lane off the coast of Somalia, with 35 pirates arrested and four mother ships seized in three days. In May 2010, there were a number of incidents in the area. The Russian destroyer freed the 106,474-ton , which was about 350 miles east of

Socotra Socotra, locally known as Saqatri, is a Yemeni island in the Indian Ocean. Situated between the Guardafui Channel and the Arabian Sea, it lies near major shipping routes. Socotra is the largest of the six islands in the Socotra archipelago as ...

, transporting crude oil from Sudan to China. Two days later, however, Russia's Defense Ministry said it had proved impossible to establish the pirates' citizenship or to establish legal grounds for prosecuting, therefore the pirates were returned to their boat and set free. In another incident, a Swedish aircraft attached to the EU Naval Force, the French warship and the Dutch warship collaborated in the spotting and capturing of a pirate action group composed of a whaler and two skiffs, about 400 miles northwest of the

Seychelles Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (; Seychellois Creole: ), is an island country and archipelagic state consisting of 155 islands (as per the Constitution) in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, Victoria, ...

. Reports on these incidents, citing other news reports, concluded that pirates were holding almost 20 vessels and about 300 crew members. An EU-NAVFO
press release
on the Russian action was cited in the article. In September 2011,

marines Marines (or naval infantry) are military personnel generally trained to operate on both land and sea, with a particular focus on amphibious warfare. Historically, the main tasks undertaken by marines have included Raid (military), raiding ashor ...

from the Spanish landing platform dock rescued the French citizen Evelyn Colombo. She had been kidnapped from the French yacht ''Tribal Kat'', and her husband Christian killed while trying to protect her. In November 2012, Marines from the Spanish corvette liberated 21 Pakistani sailors from the trawler , who had been kidnapped, detaining 9 pirates. On 15 May 2012, EU naval forces conducted their first raid on pirate bases on the Somali mainland as part of the operation, saying they "destroyed several boats". The forces were transported by helicopter to the pirate bases near the port of

Harardhere Harardhere (, ) is a historic town in the Mudug province of Somalia. It is situated in the autonomous Galmudug state and serves as the capital of the Harardhere District. History The town was controlled by the al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group al ...

. The attack was carried out overnight, and, according to the European forces, no local residents were hurt during the mission. On 24 October 2014, the first non-European third state asset integrated into EU NAVFOR when New Zealand provided a P-3 Orion of 5 Squadron RNZAF. On 27 October 2016, following an appeal from the President of

Puntland Puntland is an autonomous state that considers itself to be part of Somalia, despite not accepting the legitimacy of Somalia's current governing administration. It was formed in 1998, and was a federal member state of Somalia from its fou ...

direct to the Operational Headquarters, diverted to the Puntland coast in the first EU NAVFOR show of force against violent extremist organisations when the coastal town of

Qandala Qandala (also known as Candala, Andala, Bender Chor, Bandar Kor, Bender Kor or Taba Tege) is an ancient port town in the northeastern Bari province of Somalia. Overview Qandala sits on a wadi estuary, which forms a natural protective harbor for ...

was overrun by ISIS sympathisers. In November 2017, a six crew member motor whaler acting as mother ship, and a skiff attacked a 52,000 tonne container ship and a fishing vessel in the Southern Somali Basin. The suspected pirates were apprehended by the Italian Marines from the after their vessels were located using ''Virginio Fasan'' SH-90 helicopter, following initial searches by the Spanish Maritime patrol aircraft ''Cisne''. On 27 October 2018, EU NAVFOR destroyed a whaler that took part on a boarding attempt against the on 16 October to prevent it being used for pirate acts. In April 2019, several piracy incidents took place involving different shipping vessels and a Yemeni dhow where captured off the coast of Somalia. On 21 April, EU NAVFOR dispatched its Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPRAs) and conducted a search in the area, resulting in identifying the mothership dhow. On 23 April, in collaboration with its MPRAs, EU NAVFOR's flagship, the , successfully intercepted and boarded the captured dhow vessel. EU NAVFOR apprehended five suspected pirates, and the 23 hostages aboard the hijacked were released unharmed. In March 2024, a vessel was deployed to track the hijacked

MV Abdullah MV ''Abdullah'', originally named MV ''Golden Hawk'', is a Bangladeshi bulk carrier. History Built in 2015, the vessel was acquired in late 2023 from Japanese owners. The MV ''Abdullah'' is currently owned by KSRM Shipping Ltd. Hijacking On ...

off the coats of Somalia. Between 26 May and 1 June 2025, ''Antonio Marceglia'' and ''Reina Sofia'' visited

Mumbai Port Mumbai Port (also known as the Bombay Port) is a port which lies midway on the west coast of India, on the natural deep-water Mumbai harbour in Maharashtra. The harbour spread over is protected by the mainland of Konkan to its east and north an ...

while operating under

EUNAVFOR Atalanta Operation Atalanta, formally European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia, is an ongoing counter-piracy military operation at sea off the Horn of Africa and in the Western Indian Ocean, that is the first naval operation conducted by the Eu ...

. The port visit was followed by a miitary exercise with the

Indian Navy The Indian Navy (IN) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Navy, maritime and Amphibious warfare, amphibious branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of the Naval Staff (India), Chief ...

Deployed units

Vessels

The following vessels were part of EU NAVFOR's fleet in Operation Atalanta. Operation Atalanta has the

task force A task force (TF) is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology. Many ...

designator Task Force 465.

Aircraft

As of May 2021 the following aircraft were deployed with the European Union Naval Force – Operation Atalanta.

Vessels and aircraft in former rotation periods

The following vessels have, among others, been committed to the Operation . * ''Louise-Marie'' (F931), Belgium * ''Leopold I'' (F930), Belgium * ''Brandenburg'' (F215), (Germany) * ''Mecklenburg-Vorpommern'' (F218), Germany * ''Schleswig-Holstein'' (F216), (Germany) * ''Bayern'' (F217), Germany * ''Rheinland-Pfalz'' (F209), (Germany) * ''Köln'' (F211), (Germany) * ''Niedersachsen'' (F208), (Germany) * ''Lübeck'' (F214), (Germany) * ''Hamburg'' (F220) * ''Rhön'' (A1443), (Germany) * ''Spessart'' (A1442), (Germany) * ''Berlin'' (A1411), Germany * , Netherlands * , Netherlands * , Netherlands * , Netherlands * , Netherlands * , Netherlands *

Replenishment oiler A replenishment oiler or replenishment tanker is a naval auxiliary ship with fuel tanks and dry cargo holds which can supply both fuel and dry stores during underway replenishment (UNREP) at sea. Many countries have used replenishment oilers. Th ...

, Netherlands *

, Netherlands * ''Rotterdam'' class amphibious transport dock , Netherlands * , Netherlands * ''Bergamini''-class frigate ''Carabiniere'' (F 593), Italy * ''Bergamini''-class frigate ''Carlo Margottini'' (F 592) * ''Maestrale'' (F 570), Italy * ''Grecale'' (F 571), Italy * ''Libeccio'' (F 572), Italy * ''Scirocco'' (F 573), Italy * ''Euro'' (F 575), Italy * ''Espero'' (F 576), Italy * ''Zeffiro'' (F 577), Italy * ''Comandante Borsini'' (P 491), Italy * ''Comandante Bettica'' (P 492), Italy * ''San Giorgio'' (L 9892), Italy * ''San Giusto'' (L 9894), Italy * ''Andrea Doria'' (D 553), Italy * AGF/AOR ''Etna'' (A 5326), Italy * helicopter

cruiser A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several operational roles from search-and-destroy to ocean escort to sea ...

''Jeanne d'Arc'' (R97), France * ''Tonnerre'' (L9014), France * ''Jean de Vienne'' (D643), France * ''Georges Leygues'' (D640), France * ''Aconit'' (F713), France * ''Guépratte'' (F714), France * ''La Fayette'' (F710), France * ''Surcouf'' (F711), France * ''De Grasse'' (D612) * , France * (F732), France * ''Jean Bart'' (D615), France * ''Enseigne de vaisseau Jacoubet'' (F794), France * ''Marne'' (A630), France * ''Siroco'' (L9012), France *

P-3K2 Orion, New Zealand * NRP ''Vasco da Gama'' (F330) * NRP ''Álvares Cabral'' (F331) *

P-3C Papa, Portugal * ''Santa Maria'' (F81), Spain * ''Victoria'' (F82), Spain * ''Numancia'' (F83), Spain * ''Navarra'' (F85), Spain * ''Canarias'' (F86), Spain * ''Reina Sofía'' (F84), Spain * ''Blas de Lezo'' (F103), Spain * ''Mendez Nuñez'' (F104), Spain * ''Infanta Elena'' (P76), Spain * ''Infanta Cristina'' (P77), Spain * ''Cazadora'' (P78), Spain * ''Vencedora'' (P79), Spain * ''Galicia'' (L51), Spain * ''Castilla'' (L52), Spain *

, Spain * ''Meteoro''-class offshore patrol boat ''Meteoro'' (P41) * ''Meteoro''-class offshore patrol boat ''Relámpago'' (P43), Spain * ''Meteoro''-class offshore patrol boat ''Tornado'' (P44), Spain *

P-3M Orion, Spain *

Type 23 frigate The Type 23 frigate or Duke class is a class of frigates built for the United Kingdom's Royal Navy. The ships are named after British Dukes, thus leading to the class being commonly known as the Duke class. The first Type 23, , was commission ...

, United Kingdom - (Non EU member contribution) *

, United Kingdom - (Non EU member contribution) * RFA ''Lyme Bay'' (L3007), United Kingdom - (Non EU member contribution) * HS ''Salamis'' (F455) Greece * HS ''Psara'' (F454) Greece * HS ''Elli'' (F450), Greece * HS ''Adrias'' (F459), Greece * HSwMS ''Stockholm'' (K11), Sweden * HSwMS ''Malmö'' (K12), Sweden * ''Akademik Shuleykin''-class auxiliary vessel HSwMS ''Trossö'' (A264), Sweden * Off-shore Patrol Vessel HMS ''Carlskrona'' (P04), Sweden * HNoMS ''Fridtjof Nansen'' (F310),

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

– (Non EU member contribution) * ''Pohjanmaa'' class minelayer FNS ''Pohjanmaa'', Finland * ''Regele Ferdinand'' (221), Romania * ''Hetman Sahaydachniy'' (U130), Ukraine – (Non EU member contribution) *

Offshore patrol vessel A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft, patrol ship, or patrol vessel) is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence, border security, or law enforcement. There are many designs for patrol boats, and th ...

ARC ''7 de Agosto'' (PZE-47) – (non-EU member collaboration),

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

References

External links

European Union Naval Force Somalia – Operation Atalanta

Maritime Security Centre – Horn of Africa

European Union External Action Service

European Union Naval Force Twitter Page
* Sebastian Bruns
ATALANTA at three – a success or a failure? Strategic Insights by Risk Intelligence No. 36, 2008, S. 8–12
{{DEFAULTSORT:Atalanta, Operation Naval battles involving Sweden