A new commander for Eunavfor

(BRUSSELS2, exclusive) The change of commanders of the European Union's anti-piracy operation at sea should take place at the beginning of April. According to our information, Portuguese Rear Admiral Jorge Novo Palma will take over from his Spanish counterpart, Vice Admiral Ángel Garcia De Paredes Perez De Sevilla, on April 6.

The multinational staff will be made up of 24 soldiers from Portugal, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Latvia, the Netherlands and Sweden. This is the first time that Portugal has sent a ship to the European force and taken command of it (the country had, however, already participated in NATO's anti-piracy force).

The Force HQ (FHQ) will be placed aboard the frigate Alvares Cabral (F-331) which will serve as flagship. This frigate left the port of Lisbon on Thursday (March 21). Commanded by Captain Nuno Sobral Domingues, it includes a crew of 188 soldiers (211 with the General Staff) and has a Lynx helicopter.

Born in Lisbon in 1961, Jorge Novo Palma joined the Naval School of the Navy in 1978 and obtained a diploma in naval military sciences in 1983. He then completed his training with advanced training in the Navy, with a specialty in navigation license in 1986 and the General Course of the War School in 1993, the complementary naval warfare course in 2004 and the course of the general officer course in 2010.

It was embarked on different types of ships, starting with the training ship Sagres, minesweeper Ribeira Grande, frigates Roberto Ivens, Sacadura Cabral et Corte Real. He commanded the patrol boat Zaire, the training ship "Veja" and the frigate Corte Real. On land, he served at the Hydrographic Institute, in the office of the CEMA - the Chief of Defense Staff -, in the Personnel Division and at the Navy General Staff. He also served as Chief of the Planning Division at the Naval Staff (Oct 2007-Sept 2009).