The frigate ‘Numancia’ calls at Souda before setting sail for Djibouti

•  The vessel will relieve the frigate ‘Canarias’ in Operation ‘Atalanta’, where it will bolster maritime security and surveillance in the Indian Ocean

The frigate ‘Numancia’, commanded by Commander Álvaro Calderón Izquierdo, is sailing to the Indian Ocean to join Operation ‘Atalanta’. Over the next five months, the vessel will contribute to the protection of maritime traffic and the stability of the area, a region of particular strategic importance due to its trade routes and fishing grounds.

After leaving the Rota Naval Base (Cádiz), the ‘Numancia’ made a logistical stopover at the port of Souda, Crete (Greece) before setting sail for Djibouti, where it will take over from the frigate ‘Canarias’.

To carry out its tasks, the frigate has a crew of over 200 men and women on board, reinforced by a Marine Corps Security Operations Team (EOS) specialising in maritime protection and security. In addition, an Embarked Air Unit (UNAEMB) is travelling with an SH-60F helicopter and a Scan Eagle unmanned aerial system, which will be responsible for carrying out surveillance and reconnaissance tasks.

Furthermore, from 10 June, the Spanish FHQ, the 53rd rotation of the European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) ‘Atalanta’, under the command of Rear Admiral Francisco Javier Vázquez Sanz, will join the mission, with the ‘Numancia’ serving as its flagship.

Operation EUNAVFOR ‘Atalanta’

Since its inception in 2008, Spain has been present in ‘Atalanta’, and today it is the only European Union nation to have maintained an uninterrupted presence in the operation. With each rotation, our country reaffirms its commitment to regional stability and the security of international shipping lanes in the face of the threat of piracy and other criminal acts, as well as contributing to the protection of ships belonging to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).

At the end of 2024, the Council of the EU approved the extension of the operation’s mandate until 28 February 2027, reflecting the achievements made and the challenges for the future. Over this period, the area of operations has been expanded through successive mandates and currently encompasses the Gulf of Aden and neighbouring countries, including the port and city of Muscat (Oman), the Somali Basin, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba.

Spain currently contributes approximately 350 military personnel to the operation, along with the following assets: the frigate ‘Canarias’; and the maritime reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft ‘Orión’, which is deployed in Djibouti to operate throughout the inter-monsoon period.