ESPS Relampago trains with local police during Tanzania port call

Sailors and marines from the Spanish Navy’s offshore patrol ship ESPS Relampago trained with the Tanzanian police force during their visit to Dar Es Salaam.

Relampago arrived in Tanzania as part of its deployment to EUNAVFOR’s counter-piracy operation Atalanta.

The four days of training included briefings on stop and search, boarding operations, navigation, ship maintenance and boat handling procedures.

Maritime training with regional partners, such as Tanzania, is part of operation Atalanta’s work to deter piracy off the coast of Somalia. The aim is to increase the capability and capacity of regional maritime forces to help seafarers stay safe during their transits across the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden.

While alongside in Dar Es Salaam, Relampago also hosted ambassadors from Denmark, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands on January 13 to update them on the European Union’s continuing efforts to ensure that Somali-based piracy remains suppressed.