“Orión” detachment reaches 12,000 flight hours
· The Spanish aircrafts deployed in Djibouti have reached a new milestone after 11 years within the operation Atalanta
In the French Air Force Base 188, in Djibouti, the 67th crew of the 35th contingent, under the command of the Commander Diego Gil, has reached a new milestone for the operation Atalanta and for the Spanish Armed Forces: 12,000 flight hours to combat piracy.
Our country´s participation in the European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) in Somalia dates back to 2008. Since that year, the P3 Orión aircraft from the 11th Wing of the Morón Air Base and the C-235 (D4) aircraft from the 46th Wing (Canary Islands), 48th Wing (Madrid) and 49th Wing (Palma de Mallorca), have maintained a continued presence in this remote place in Africa, as part of the Spanish Air Force Deployment in Djibouti.
Said milestone has been achieved due to the team work developed by the men and women who conform the Orión Detachment, with the support of the operation´s Headquarters and other support elements both from Spain and the rest of the European Union countries.
The task performed by the crews, the maintenance, communication, administrative, supportive or protective personnel was not easy, mainly due to the distance between Djibouti and its source units (almost 6,000 km), as well as by the harsh weather conditions during some months. Despite this, the logistical structure stablished in support of the operations, with its stable air and maritime supply lines from Spain, the operational support provided by the responsible Headquarters and by the local companies supplying the Detachment, has made this big challenge a success story.
These 12,000 flight hours show again the commitment of all the nations that take part in Atalanta, and in particular, Spain, providing safe navigation though the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. This has made possible to almost eliminate the number of events related with piracy in this area, from the peak reached in 2011, with almost 200 incidents.
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