The 56th Tactical Air Detachment “Orion” completes two months of work in the Horn of Africa

• The Spanish contingent, part of EUNAVFOR, combines operational missions in support of Atalanta with acts of institutional representation

Two months ago, the 51 aviators of the “Orion” Aerotactical Detachment (DAT) —under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Francisco José Moreno Chaves— landed in Djibouti to begin their support missions in the fight against piracy in the Gulf of Aden. This is the 56th contingent since Spain began participating in this air mission, which is part of Operation EUNAVFOR Atalanta, directed from the Spanish Operations Headquarters (ES OHQ) in Rota (Cádiz). During this time, operational efforts have been complemented by attendance at various acts of institutional representation in Djibouti.

In terms of operations, the crew of the maritime surveillance aircraft D.4 has successfully completed the missions assigned by the Operation Atalanta Headquarters (FHQ), which has been deployed aboard the Spanish frigate Victoria since 12 October.

Among these actions is the intervention of the DAT “Orion” in the recent piracy event in the waters of the western Indian Ocean against the merchant ship “Hellas Aphrodite”, which was freed thanks to the intervention of Operation Atalanta.

The aircraft was deployed by FHQ on several missions and complemented the monitoring tasks on the ship until her release. Afterwards, the D.4 made several flights to locate the dwoh used to carry out the attack on the merchant ship, which contributed significantly to restoring normality and successfully concluding this rescue operation.

Multinational exercises

On the other hand, over the last month, Orion has developed an intensive training activity. It participated in the Doraleh II and Bull Shark 2026-1 regional exercises, where crisis response procedures were put into practice. In both exercises, Spanish military personnel shared their extensive experience in maritime surveillance, search and rescue operations with members of the Djiboutian and Somali armed forces, as well as with international units stationed in the area.

At the same time, these exercises have provided an opportunity to establish new ties and strengthen trust with friendly and allied forces in the region.

Reinforcement of the institutional relations

At the end of October, Lieutenant Colonel Moreno welcomed the commander of FHQ, Portuguese Commodore João Silva, to the DAT ‘Orion’ facilities. Commodore Silva hosted a visit by a delegation from the European Parliament's Security and Defence Committee (SEDE), led by its president, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann. This parliamentary delegation was able to learn first-hand about the details of Operation Atalanta, as well as the tactical capabilities of the D.4 aircraft and its crew in the fight against piracy, working in perfect synergy with the frigate Victoria, commanded by Commander Jorge Fernández de Navarrete.

In addition, the head of the DAT attended several institutional and commemorative events in Djibouti organised by allied and friendly countries. Aming them,  the ceremony in honour of African soldiers who fell in the Second World War and the birthday of King Charles III of England highlight, organised by the British Embassy; Italian Armed Forces Day at the Italian forces' support base; and, finally, the handover ceremony for the European Union's Operation Aspides. All of this has strengthened the cooperative and institutional ties between Spain and the international community present in the African country, as well as joint efforts for maritime security in the region.

Finally, before handing over command of Orion, Lieutenant Colonel Moreno presented his predecessor, Lieutenant Colonel Pelegrina Tamayo, with the Spanish flag that flew during his command as head of the 55th contingent. This was a symbolic act in recognition of his six months of deployment in Djibouti, during which his performance has been fundamental in maintaining the continuity of Spain's commitment and strengthening relations with international forces, enabling D.4 VIGMA to have the necessary support to operate since its recent incorporation into Operation EUNAVFOR Atalanta.