First Croatian AVPD team returns from ATALANTA
The members of the first Croatian Autonomous Vessel Protection Detachment were received by the Croatian Navy Commander, Commodore Predrag Stipanović on their return from the EU NAVFOR SOMALIA – ATALANTA, on 15 April 2015.
Commodore Stipanović congratulated the Team on the successful engagement and important contribution to the Operation and to the Croatian Navy and the Armed Forces reputation. „The first Croatian AVPD Team has demonstrated its excellence at all levels of assigned tasks, particularly in the most demanding situations, to our great pride“, said Commodore Stipanović.
The AVPD Team Commander, Lieutenant (N) Nenad Kontri expressed satisfaction over the successful completion of the mission and the evinced level of readiness of the entire Team. „We have demonstrated superb trainedness and competence, as well as human qualities essential for team work in high risk operations“, said Lieutenant Kontri.
The 12-member Team, composed of ten members of the Croatian Navy and one member of the Croatian Special Operations Command and of the Support Command respectively, was deployed to Somalia from December 2014 to April 2015.
The AVPD teams are armed military teams deployed to the ATALANTA Operation aboard merchant vessels engaged within the World Food Programme off the Somali coast and the neighbouring countries, delivering humanitarian aid and supplies to the population. The AVPD teams operate onboard the vessels during navigation, at ports and at anchorage, providing security and protection for the vessels from pirate attacks, robberies and hijacks at sea and in ports.