Operation Atalanta
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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
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 (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, and it is the first EU naval operation to be launched. It cooperates with the multinational Combined Task Force 151 of the US-led Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) and NATO's anti-piracy Operation Ocean Shield. 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 and AMISOM, 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 (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 (WFP), African Union Mission in Somalia (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 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. 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
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 ...
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 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 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. 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 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 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 while operating under EUNAVFOR Atalanta. 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 *
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 * ''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 * Lockheed P-3 Orion P-3K2 Orion, New Zealand * NRP ''Vasco da Gama'' (F330) * NRP ''Álvares Cabral'' (F331) * Lockheed P-3 Orion 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 *
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 ...
, Spain * ''Meteoro''-class offshore patrol boat ''Meteoro'' (P41) * ''Meteoro''-class offshore patrol boat ''Relámpago'' (P43), Spain * ''Meteoro''-class offshore patrol boat ''Tornado'' (P44), Spain * Lockheed P-3 Orion P-3M Orion, Spain * Type 23 frigate , United Kingdom - (Non EU member contribution) * Type 23 frigate , 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 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 ...


See also

* List of military and civilian missions of the European Union * Maritime Security Patrol Area * Combined Task Force 151 * Operation Ocean Shield * Operation Sankalp *
Piracy in Somalia Piracy off the coast of Somalia occurs in the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel, and Indian Ocean, in Somali territorial waters and other surrounding places and has a long troubled history with different perspectives from different communities. I ...
* List of ships attacked by Somali pirates


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