The Spanish Navy’s oceanic patrol vessel ‘Relámpago’, currently participating in the European-led counter-piracy operation ‘Atalanta’ in the Indian Ocean, has provided escort to a World Food Program ship transiting the area.
The escorted vessel, the merchant ship ‘Juba Liner II’, departed from the Kenyan port of Mombasa towards Somalia transporting food to the refugees in that failed state.
These escorts are key missions within operation ‘Atalanta’ as they provide the necessary protection to ships traditionally targeted by pirates in the region.
During the cruise, the ‘Relámpago’ sailed near the merchant ship assuring a safe and unperturbed voyage. Once the Somali authorities took control of the ‘Juba Liner II’, the Spanish warship returned to the patrol area in the blue waters of the Indian Ocean.
[mappress] Press Release, April 23, 2014; Image: Spanish Navy