Eighth Navy officer in the “Atalanta” Operation

Lieutenant Junior Grade Skelin was born on 24 July 1979 in Sibenik, graduated from the Maritime Faculty in Split, and joined the Croatian Navy in November 2007. He completed basic officer navy training, a basic course for military divers, and the course of an authorized person for the Coast Guard. He was assigned as a member of the crew on the Coast Guard ship SB-73 “Faust Vrancic”.
Lieutenant Skelin is the first Croatian Navy officer who has embarked on a supply ship in the “Atalanta” Operation. So far, four officers were embarked on NATO ships of the frigates or corvettes types from France, Belgium, Holland and Italy, while three were assigned to the Command Operations at Northwood in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Spanish navy ship “Patino” is auxilliary tanker which is used to supply ships at sea, and it is about 170 meters long and in use in Spanish Navy since 1995. It has a crew of 148 members. In addition to supply, “Patino” will be used for operations against pirates in the Gulf of Aden and in the Somali waters, since there is the team of naval-infantry with RIBs and helicopters, and on board a hospital was set up for medical support of operation.