Deputy Admiral Ignacio Villanueva Serrano visits IFC-OIR. April 17, 2025. Image source: x/@ifc_ior
Operation Eunavfor’s Atlanta operation in the western Indian Ocean and the Red Sea has proposed joint exercises with the Indian Navy until the end of May, Deputy Admiral Ignacio Villanueva Serrano, its operation commander, said Thursday (April 17, 2025).
He visited India to strengthen cooperation and noted that while the African Eagle’s piracy saw a revival in a rebel attack in the Red Sea last year, it has recently declined, despite the “threat still exist”.
Vice-President Serrano told reporters: “I made a recommendation to the Indian Navy and the Indian authorities to conduct the exercise around the end of May. If approved in the end, I will send two ships to Mumbai for this exercise to carry out the exercise and enhance coordination and cooperation.” He stressed that the main goal of visiting New Delhi and Mumbai was to coordinate with the Indian Navy to ensure maritime security in the Indian Ocean.
The proposed exercises are intended to go beyond the Daily Passage Exercise (PASSEX), two naval behaviors are usually limited in scale. “The proposed exercises will be more advanced and focus on anti-piracy operations, tactical exercises and communications,” ViceAdm. Serrano explained.
He stressed the common interest to keep the Indian Ocean as “free, open, sustainable and inclusive, risk-free.” “We are in the region, both of us, we have assets in the region, one through Atlanta, through the Indian Navy, and now the rest is logic. We need to coordinate the position and the action, and then when the situation comes, we will decide to coordinate,” Vice Adm. Added. ”
Operation Atlanta began in 2008 and focused primarily on preventing piracy and armed robbery on the Somalia coast. Since then, its mandate has been expanded to include protecting World Food Program ships and other fragile transports; helping to impose arms embargoes in Somalia; and monitoring narcotic trafficking, arms trafficking, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and illegal charcoal trade.
Regarding the recent piracy incident near the Horn of Africa, the commander asserted that anti-pirate efforts were a deterrent force. “With the assets we have in the area, we can resolve any piracy case within 48-72 hours of the event,” he claimed.
Quote the Merchant Ship MV Hijacking Ruen As an example of successful coordination with India, Vice-Chancellor Serrano said the troops were effectively allied. “The coordination has been good, very professional, and we want to keep it that way. I recognize that the Indian Navy is the main actor in the region. We will add [each other] And it will definitely work together effectively. ” he said.
Serrano reiterated the goal of his visit, saying: “We discussed many operational issues, including piracy activities, and we are ready to continue working together.” Earlier on Thursday, he visited the Information Fusion Centre in the Gururam Indian Navy Indian Ocean Region (IFC-OIR), acknowledging regular coordination between the maritime centres of the two sides.
He noted that the joint anti-piracy efforts resulted in the arrest of 70 suspected pirates last year, with the Indian Navy accounting for 44 captures. While pirate waters outside Somalia have decreased, he warned: “The threat still exists…but we will fight it.”
When asked about their interactions with the Chinese Navy, which has remained in the region since 2008 (including nuclear-powered attack submarines) and ostensibly anti-piracy operations, the deputy admiral described their experience at sea as “professional.”
He believes that the vastness of the Indian Ocean region is a major challenge, requiring a large amount of assets and strong logistics. “Success requires cooperation and partnership,” he stressed.
ViceAdm. Serrano confirmed Europe’s long-term commitment to security in the region, noting: “Europe is a good long-term partner and Europe should strive to make the region free and open.”
publishing – April 18, 2025 02:27 AM IST
