When the merchant vessel MV Albedo sank, ESPS Numancia was the first ship to arrive
On Wednesday 7 August, ESPS Numancia completed her deployment with the European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia – Operation Atalanta, and started her journey back to her home port in Rota, Spain.
This was the second time that the Spanish frigate has deployed as part of EU NAVFOR, the first having been from the end of 2008 to early 2009, when she played the role of EU NAVFOR´s Flagship, at a time when the EU’s fight against piracy in the Indian Ocean was just beginning.
During these last months, ESPS Numancia 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.
She 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.l.
When the merchant vessel MV Albedo sank off the coast of Somalia, ESPS Numancia was the first ship to arrive at the anchorage 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. ESPS Numancia also conducted surveillance of the pirated fishing vessel FV Naham 3.
Learn more about ESPS Numancia at EUNAVFOR
