The Spanish frigate sets sail for the Gulf of Aden

(BRUSSELS2) After the agreement of Parliament obtained this week, and the final decision of the Spanish government, Friday, the Spanish frigate, Victoria (F-82), set sail from the Rota naval base (near Cadiz), to join the European anti-piracy operation, EUNAVFOR Atalanta.

under command of Cape Town. Fernando Poole Quintana, Victoria is a ship of the Santa Maria class. VSMade up of 196 people, it is equipped with two SH-60B “Seahawk” helicopters. of the 10th Naval Air Wing, 76 mm cannons and sea-to-sea missiles. Also on board is a team of around fifteen marine commandos, from the 2nd Marine Infantry Brigade (BRIMAR), belonging to the Third Army, based in San Fernando (Cádiz). In all, 210 men, including 40 women, specifies the Spanish Navy HQ, andStaff 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 made – 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 pirates: many false alerts but also real ones. threats on Spanish ships as well as other nationalities. In all, for the first rotation (until mid-April), Spain should have, According to the Minister, 277 men engaged (including 11 men also serving in the force and operations headquarters).

Second rotation

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

Economic data

The cost of the operation, for Spain, ranges between 3,7 and 5,1 million euros per month, depending on the rotation period. Before 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)