The Spanish Navy frigate ‘Numancia’ sails back home after a successful deployment in the Indian Ocean

On August 7th, the Spanish Navy frigate ‘Numancia’ completed her deployment with the European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) Operation ‘Atalanta’, and started her journey back to her home port: Rota Naval Base (Cádiz).

This was the second time that the Spanish frigate has deployed in operation ‘Atalanta’, the first having been from the end of 2008 to early 2009, when she played the role of EUNAVFOR´s Flagship.

The ‘Numancia’ is scheduled to conclude a five-month deployment that started on March 22nd. During these last months, the ship has been at sea for 112 days, sailed more than 25,000 nautical miles and has been actively engaged in a great variety of tasks.

Achievements

The ‘Numancia’ has conducted 38 ‘friendly approaches’ to dhows and skiffs in order to promote understanding about EUNAVFOR´s mission amongst fishermen and local sea merchants and to gather information about the pattern of life in the area. Her helicopters from the 10th Aircraft Squadron have flown a total of 140 hours and performed reconnaissance, surface surveillance, force protection, medical evacuation and logistic support missions.

The Spanish frigate took part in the planning and conduction of the meeting that was held off the coast of Mogadishu on June 24th, between several ministers of the Federal Government of Somalia and representatives of the European Union which took place on board the Portuguese frigate ‘Alvares Cabral’. The Spanish frigate acted as the force protection coordinator, with one of her helicopters providing armed escort to the transport helicopters from frigates ‘Alvares Cabral’ (Portuguese Navy) and ‘Augsburg’ (German Navy).

The ‘Numancia’ and her helicopters performed two medical evacuations during their deployment. In the first one, a crewmember of the British replenishment ship RFA ‘Fort Victoria’ had fallen seriously ill and was subsequently airlifted to Salalah (Oman). In the second, two crewmembers of the merchant vessel MT ‘Perla’, initially assisted on board the Australian frigate HMAS ‘Newcastle’, where taken by the Spanish frigate to Victoria (Seychelles) to be treated at the local hospital.

When the merchant vessel ‘Albedo’ sank off the coast of Somalia, the frigate ‘Numancia’ was the first ship to arrive at the anchorage area and her Commanding Officer took charge of the Search and Rescue efforts, which for the first two days were performed by the frigate, her helicopters and the Spanish Maritime Patrol Aircraft based in Djibouti.

Whilst in port, the ‘Numancia’ conducted several Local Maritime Capacity Building (LMCB) training events, with the Djiboutian Coast Guard, the Seychellois Coast Guard and the Tanzanian Navy, in support of EUCAP NESTOR.

After four months in the Area of Operations the Spanish Navy frigate ‘Numancia’ has been relieved by the Oceanic Patrol Vessel ‘Meteoro’ who joins EUNAVFOR for the first time. The Spanish Navy has maintained a permanent presence in operation ‘Atalanta’ since it began at the end of 2008; actively contributing to EUNAVFOR´s successful efforts to fight piracy off the Horn of Africa.