OPV ‘METEORO’ to integrate into Operation ‘ATALANTA’

On April 1st the offshore patrol vessel ‘Meteoro’ (P-41), usually stationed in Las Palmas Base, set sail to integrate into the EU counter-piracy operation ‘Atalanta’ in the Indian Ocean. The farewell ceremony was presided over by Rear-admiral Juan L. Sobrino, Chief of the Canary Islands Naval Command.

This deployment is part of Spain’s commitment and contribution to this mission since it began in 2008, to maintain shipping security in Somali waters and the Gulf of Aden.

This will be the P-41’s third deployment in the Indian Ocean since the ship was commissioned; the first one in 2013 and the last in 2015 after a five-month campaign.

For this mission, the ‘Meteoro’ has a crew of 54 plus 17 members of the Embarked Air Unit and an 11-strong Marine Corps security squad. An interpreter from the Somali Navy will embark upon arriving at Djibouti. The ‘Meteoro’ is under command of Lt-Cdr. Juan Miguel Evangelista.

The Meteoro’-class offshore patrol vessels (BAM in its Spanish initials) are modern and multi-purpose warships used not only in military scenarios but also in cooperation activities such as SAR (search and rescue), humanitarian aid, evacuations and the fight against sea pollution.

Operation ‘Atalanta’

This European Union mission was designed to protect shipping in the Western Indian Ocean, especially UN’s World Food Program ships, and enhance the security of regional sea-lines of communications, as well as trawlers working in the area, and neutralize mother ships that pirates use to deploy in blue waters.

The EUNAVFOR mission covers a wide area from the Gulf of Aden to the Seychelles Islands. It is normally made up of between 4 and 7 ships and 2 and 4 maritime patrol aircraft.