Takeover of the ‘Orion’ air battalion deployed in Djibouti as part of Operation ‘Atalanta’

• As the inter-monsoon season comes to an end, the D4 aircraft returns to national territory after carrying out aerial surveillance to combat piracy in the Gulf of Aden.

The 53rd contingent of the Tactical Air battalion (DAT) ‘Orion’, deployed at the Djibouti base and under the operational control of the Joint Operations Command (MOPS), has taken over from the 52nd contingent of the detachment. During the ceremony, the outgoing Force Commander, Colonel Miguel Ángel Pérez Cabrera, handed over command to Major Manuel Delgado Sánchez.

After the end of the inter-monsoon season, the D4 aircraft temporarily returns to Spain; while the new contingent will maintain the air facilities at the Djibouti base and the preparation for the next deployment of the aircraft.

The military ceremony, which took place at the detachment's facilities at the French air base 188 ‘Colonel Massart’, was presided over by Colonel Antonio Miguel Romón Almansa, representing the MOPS.

The last mission of the D4 aircraft, which lasted seven and a half hours, consisted of tracking a possible piracy incident within the area of operations. The Force Headquarters (FHQ), embarked on the frigate ‘Santa María’, was in charge of assigning this mission. With this latest flight, the Spanish air force's participation in the European operation ‘Atalanta’, which provides maritime surveillance and security in the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Somalia, has been successfully completed.

Since their arrival in September, the 91st and 92nd crews, part of the 52nd contingent of the DAT ‘Orion’, have flown more than twenty missions for Operation Atalanta, accounting for approximately 190 flight hours.

The participation of the DAT ‘Orion’ in this operation, commanded by Spain since 2019 through the Operational Headquarters (OHQ) located in the naval base of Rota (Cadiz), represents Spain's commitment to the fight against piracy and the protection of World Food Programme (WFP) vessels in the Indian Ocean. Since the start of Operation Atalanta in 2009, Spain has been the only European Union country to participate without interruption.

Operation Atalanta

Operation Atalanta is the result of a series of UN resolutions adopted following the increase in acts of piracy in the Indian Ocean from 2005 onwards, and, with Spain's strong support, it became the first EU naval operation to be carried out within the framework of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP).

At the end of 2022, the EU Council approved the extension of the operation's mandate until December 2024, reflecting the achievements and challenges for the future. Throughout this time, the area of operations has been expanded under successive mandates and now encompasses the Gulf of Aden and neighbouring countries, including the port and city of Muscat (Oman), the Somali Basin, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba.

Currently, under the operational control of the Operations Command, Spain is contributing to Operation Atalanta with approximately 350 military personnel, as well as the following assets and units:

-      The Operation Headquarters, OHQ, at the Rota Naval Base.

-      One frigate/ warship on a permanent basis

-      An on-board helicopter

-      An on-board special operations team

-      A maritime reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft (DAT ‘Orion’) in Djibouti during the inter-monsoon season.

-      Liaison Offices located in Mogadishu (Somalia), Manama (Bahrain), Brussels (Belgium) and Port Victoria (Seychelles).

-      Operation Logistics Support Unit deployed in Djibouti (Djibouti).

As a sign of our commitment to the security of the region, Spain has been the only country in the European Union to have participated continuously in Operation Atalanta since its launch 16 years ago. In this context, the ‘Orion’ detachment contributes to the objective of this European military operation: to provide surveillance and deterrence against piracy and illicit trafficking in the Indian Ocean, as well as to collaborate in the protection of World Food Programme vessels.