On Tuesday 12 January 2016 Operation Atalanta’s Force Commander and EUROMARFOR Task Group Commander (CGEMF) visited the Spanish Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRA) Detachment based in Djibouti.

The Detachment’s Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Santiago Ibarreta, gave Rear Admiral Barbieri and personnel from the Force Headquarters a tour of the D-4 VIGMA MPRA.

This version of the Spanish twin engine CN-235 transport aircraft performs reconnaissance missions over the Somali coastline providing valuable imagery and information, vital for counter-piracy operations.

The Force Commander thanked the Detachment:

“The strong support you provide in information gathering clearly proves that air assets in counter-piracy operations are vital for success.”