AP joins EU naval mission to combat rising Gulf of Aden piracy
- The Associated Press has joined the European Union's Operation Atalanta naval patrol.
- The mission aims to combat a surge in piracy threatening the Gulf of Aden.
- The Spanish frigate ESPS Santa Maria currently serves as the mission's flagship.
- Officials report 79 pirate attacks in the region since November 2023.
- The Bab el-Mandeb strait handles 12% of global trade and 25% of container traffic.
The Associated Press has joined a European Union naval patrol known as Operation Atalanta to combat piracy in the Gulf of Aden. Associated Press writer Omar Farouk, based in Mogadishu, Somalia, contributed to the report.
This mission comes as piracy increases in the Gulf of Aden, threatening vital international shipping lanes.
ESPS Santa Maria leads patrol off Djibouti coast
The Spanish frigate ESPS Santa Maria, a 40-year-old 4,000-tonne warship, is currently serving as the flagship for the European Union's Atalanta mission. The vessel is sailing off the coast of Djibouti, approximately 40 nautical miles from an unspecified location.
An Associated Press reporter is currently at sea with the patrol. During the deployment, the crew observed a container ship heading toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Seventy-nine pirate attacks reported since November 2023
Portuguese Commodore José Rodrigues Pedra, commander of the Atalanta mission at sea, reported 79 pirate attacks in the region since November 2023. Approximately 30 of these incidents occurred after the start of the Iran war in February 2026.
The Associated Press tracked six commercial vessel hijackings between April and August 2026. The Bab el-Mandeb strait, located 80 kilometres north of the patrol area, handles 12% of global trade and 25% of container traffic between Asia and Europe.
Operation Atalanta coordinates with international partners
The mission operates a surveillance plane from a French military base in Djibouti.
Spanish special forces are currently conducting exercises to address the piracy threat.
The European Union also maintains a second naval force in the region called Operation Aspides.
Commanders warn of global economic consequences
Commodore José Rodrigues Pedra commented on the link between regional crises and piracy, stating: “I am not saying that there is a direct link with this crisis, but what I can say is that crisis creates crisis.”
Houthi influence and economic motives behind piracy
It’s Bab el-Mandeb.
Shipping industry faces rising costs and security risks
Jakob Larsen, safety and security chief for BIMCO, said that conditions for piracy have always existed.
Larsen said that rising fuel prices due to the Iran war may be driving people to search for new livelihoods through piracy.
Mahmoud Shehrah said that shipping companies are responding to piracy by rerouting vessels, increasing security, and paying higher insurance costs.
Christopher Hockey said that vessels targeted by pirates are typically those that are cutting costs or engaging in suspicious activities.
Hockey said that no vessel has ever been hijacked while an armed security team was on board.
Status of hijacked vessels and recovery efforts
The Tanzanian-flagged tanker MT Asana remained under pirate control with 22 seafarers held captive as of Operation Atalanta’s 16 October update.
Analysts and commanders report that the EU mission helps deter piracy, but success is hard to quantify because pirates usually retreat when they spot military assets like ships, helicopters, planes, or drones.
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