Spanish Navy’s OPV on Its Way to Operation Atalanta

Spanish Navy’s offshore patrol vessel Meteoro, homeported in Las Palmas, Canary Islands, is on its way to join the counter-piracy Operation Atalanta in the Indian Ocean.

This deployment is part of the Spanish commitment with this EU mission which started back in 2008 to fight piracy in the Gulf of Aden and Somalia protecting commercial shipping and trawlers working in the area.

In July 2013 the vessel also participated in Operation Atalanta in the course of a six-month deployment.

The ship has a complement of 78 people, including her own crew, a Marine Corps security squad and support personnel of the embarked helicopter. In Djibouti, an interpreter from its Navy will embark on the Spanish OPV.

Meteoro is the first unit of its class (offshore patrol vessel-type) and is currently under the command of Lt-Cdr José María Almira.

Image: Spanish Navy