The European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Atalanta patrols , the bloc’s counter-piracy military operation , will move its headquarters from London to the Spanish port of Rota on 29 March 2019 , when Britain exits the EU.
The London-based Martime Security Centre Horn of Africa, which informs shipping about piracy threats off Somalia, will also be moved to the French port of Brest.
The security centre will re main under the Atalanta command, an EU statement said.
The EU also replaced Atalanta's operational commander Major General Charlie Strickland with Vice Admiral Anotnio Martorell Lacave , a Spanish navy commander.
"During this time Atalanta will be conducting business as usual with the force headquarters and ships remaining deployed and conducting deterrence of piracy and protection of WFP shipping," Strickland said in a separate statement.
Operation Atalanta , which was launched in 2008 to combat piracy off the coast of Somalia , was extended by one year until 31 December 2020, the EU said in the statement .
Italian, German and Spani sh navy ships currently patrol the waters near Somalia, ensuring the safe delivery of aid from the World Food Programme to Somalia.
The number of attacks off the coa st of Somalia in the
Indian Ocean has fallen from a p eak of 176 in 2011 to seven in 2017 and only one till date since the beginning of 2018.
