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Detachment 'Orión' reaches 13,000 flight hours

Djibouti
December 9, 2020
  • The P3M aircraft from the 11th Wing deployed in Djibouti achieves this milestone after 12 years countering piracy off the coast of Somalia

Moments after 2:30 p.m. on December the 5th, the P3M-09 aircraft belonging to the 22nd Group, succesfully landed at the French base BA188 'Coronel Massart' in Djibouti; completing Detachment Orión's mission number 7,281 and reaching 13,000 flight hours within Operation Atalanta, which represents a new milestone for the Spanish Armed Forces and also for the Air Force.

Back to 2008 Spain began its involvement in this operation, with maritime assets and a surveillance aircraft. In this mission, along with the P-3 Orión aircraft from Group 22 based in Morón, a SAR CN-235 VIGMA aircraft belonging to the 46th Wing (Gando Air Base), 48th Wing (Cuatro Vientos Air Base) and 49th Wing (Son San Juan Air Base) have also taken part, performing more than a quarter of the total hours carried out by the detachment.

The surveillance and maritime patrol missions of the Spanish aircraft deployed to the Orion Detachment have been a key element to improve the maritime security, contributing significantly to counter piracy in the Indian Ocean.

The 13,000 flight hours achieved by Detachment 'Orion' in Djibouti are proof of the high level of commitment that the Armed Forces have to Operation Atalanta in order to reinforce the security and the stability in the Horn of Africa region.

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