The Spanish frigate sets sail for the Gulf of Aden

(BRUSSELS2) After Parliament's agreement obtained this week, and the Spanish government's final decision on Friday, the Spanish frigate, Victoria (F-82), sailed from La Rota naval base (near Cadiz), to join the European counter-piracy operation, EUNAVFOR Atalanta.

under command of Cape Town. Fernando Poole Quintana, Victoria is a ship of the Santa Maria class. VSComprised of 196 people, it is equipped with two SH-60B "Seahawk" helicopters. of the 10th Naval Air Wing, 76 mm guns and sea-to-sea missiles. Also on board is a team of fifteen marine commandos from the 2nd Marine Infantry Brigade (BRIMAR), belonging to the Third Army, based in San Fernando (Cadiz). In all, 210 men, including 40 women, specifies the HQ of the Spanish navy, and dThe personnel from Latin America (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico) and Guinea.

First rotation

The frigate will come to reinforce the Spanish teams in the zone : the P-3 Orion maritime surveillance plane and its 70 men (which constituted, from the start, the embryo of the European operation of a bilateral agreement with the French command Alindien). So far, this plane has carried out - according to an initial assessment carried out by the Spanish armies - 70 departures and nearly 560 hours of flight, for the location and monitoring of ships suspected of being pirates: many false alerts but also real threats on Spanish ships as well as other nationalities. All in all, for the first rotation (until mid-April), Spain should have, According to the Minister, 277 men engaged (including 11 men serving in addition to the Force and Operation Headquarters).

Second rotation

The strength should increase to a maximum of 395 men during the second rotation (mid-April to mid-August). At that time, Spain will have command of the force, and should also provide a logistical supply ship with a helicopter and a team of commandos, ie 118 men.

Economic data

The cost of the operation, for Spain, varies between 3,7 and 5,1 million euros per month, depending on the rotation period. In front of the Congress (Parliament), the Spanish Minister of Defense, the charming Carmen Chacon, confirmed how much this mission was "vital for the defense of economic and geostrategic interests of Spain"And"will serve to ensure the safety of our fishing industry."

(photo: Spanish armada)