The Maritime Action Ship ‘Tornado’ set sail from Las Palmas to take part in Operation ‘Atalanta’

The Maritime Action Ship (BAM in its Spanish initials) ‘Tornado’ with home port in Las Palmas (Canary Islands) departed this morning to participate in Operation ‘Atalanta’ to counter piracy in the Indian Ocean.

The ‘Tornado’ is the fourth ship of her class to participate in operation ‘Atalanta’, a EU maritime security mission fighting piracy in the Gulf of Aden and Somalia, also protecting merchant ships and trawlers fishing in the area.

The ship will integrate in the EU Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) at the beginning of December relieving her sister ship ‘Meteoro’. This oceanic patrol vessel is scheduled to stay five months in the area of operations.

The ship is under the command of Lieutenant-Commander Eduardo Guitian Crespo. Her complement consists of 83 people: 53 crew members, 17 Air Unit personnel in support of the AB-212 helicopter, an 11-strong Special Operations detachment, in addition to a doctor and an interpreter.

The ‘Tornado’ is the fourth ship of her class. The BAM concept (an oceanic patrol vessel) contemplates a state-of-the-art and multi-purpose ship with reduced maintenance and production costs, capable of operating not only in military missions, but also in search and rescue (SAR) operations, humanitarian aid, evacuations and the fight against sea pollution.