EUNAVFOR ships make maiden visit to India, hold table-top exercise with Indian Navy in Mumbai
Spanish and Italian warships operating under the European Union Naval Force completed the first such visit to India under the EU's aegis in Mumbai on 1 June 2025.
Summary
ESPS Reina Sofia of the Spanish Navy and ITS Antonio Marceglia of the Italian Navy, both operating under the European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR), were in Mumbai from 26 May to 1 June 2025 for an operational turnaround, the first such visit to India under the aegis of the European Union. The EUNAVFOR side, led by Rear Admiral Davide Da Pozzo, Force Commander of Operation Atalanta, met Western Naval Command officials, and the two sides held Subject Matter Expert Exchanges and a Table Top Exercise. A joint exercise at sea between the Indian Navy and EUNAVFOR was also planned. The visit followed talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ursula von der Leyen.
Key facts
- Dates
- 26 May – 1 Jun 2025, Mumbai
- Ships
- ESPS Reina Sofia (Spain), ITS Antonio Marceglia (Italy)
- Significance
- First visit to India under the EU's aegis
- Operation
- Op Atalanta; Force Commander Rear Admiral Davide Da Pozzo
- Activities
- Subject Matter Expert Exchanges, Table Top Exercise; joint sea exercise planned
Practice MCQs 2 questions
The EUNAVFOR ships that made a maiden visit to India in May–June 2025 operate under which operation, led by Rear Admiral Davide Da Pozzo?
Show answer
Correct answer: C — Operation Atalanta
The EUNAVFOR side was led by Rear Admiral Davide Da Pozzo, Force Commander of Operation Atalanta.
The two EUNAVFOR ships that visited Mumbai from 26 May to 1 June 2025 belonged to which navies?
Show answer
Correct answer: D — Spain and Italy
ESPS Reina Sofia of the Spanish Navy and ITS Antonio Marceglia of the Italian Navy visited Mumbai, so the ships belonged to Spain and Italy.