Frigate ‘Santa Maria’ returns home after her fifth deployment in Operation ‘Atalanta’.

After almost five and a half months, the frigate ‘Santa María’ (F-81) has successfully fulfilled her objective of strengthening the safety of navigation in the waters of the Indian Ocean, returning to Rota Naval Base.

Frigate ‘Santa María’ (F-81), under command of Cdr. Francisco García Flores, has returned to the Rota Naval Base after completing her fifth deployment integrated into the European Union's Operation ‘Atalanta’ (the EU's first naval operation). A mission of great importance to implement the necessary capabilities to face the challenges of the future.

Throughout the mission, the ‘Santa María’ has participated in the location and assistance of the Yemeni fishing vessel ‘AL NAJMA’, as well as in the release of the Chinese fishing vessel ‘FV 578’, among other actions of special importance. As a whole, the ship has monitored the situation at sea, contributing to strengthening stability and security, especially in the waters of the Gulf of Aden, the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea.

In total, a large number of operations have been conducted, including 59 friendly boardings to different vessels in the area, assistance to several alerts from the international maritime community, including SOLAS (Safety of Life At Sea) events. In addition, the frigate has escorted World Food Program (WFP) ships, and has carried out different training activities with the Somali police and coastguard in both Mogadishu and Bosaso, assisting the Federal Government of Somalia to identify activities related mainly to illegal fishing

On the other hand, owing to the current instability in the waters of the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, due to the Houthis attacks in those waters, the frigate ‘Santa Maria’ has used new technological and defense equipment to successfully counter the existing threat against unmanned aerial and surface vehicles (CUXV,  Counter Unmanned Vehicles).

This deployment is the fifth integration carried out by the ship – after those of 2011, 2016, 2020 and 2022 – since the Counter-Piracy Operation began in 2008, in which Spain, and the Armada in particular, has maintained a permanent naval presence.