The European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) Operation ATALANTA and CRIMARIO signed a collaborative agreement concerning the use of the Indo Pacific Regional Information Sharing (IORIS) platform. This platform is a neutral and secure web-based maritime coordination and information sharing tool for national and regional multi-agency use.
The partnership was signed by the project director of CRIMARIO Mr. Martin Cauchi-Inglott, and by the EUNAVFOR ATALANTA Operational Commander, Vice Admiral José M. Núñez Torrente. It establishes a collaborative framework between the two organisations with the aim of utilising IORIS to bolster the development of a Regional Maritime Security Architecture. It encompasses both technical and operational aspects.
Both parties of the agreement have regard to the necessity to enhance Maritime Domain Awareness/Maritime Situational Awareness in the Western Indian Ocean and the Red Sea region through information and data-sharing.
In the spirit of this partnership, EUNAVFOR has been an active participant in numerous exercises facilitated by the IORIS platform, emphasizing our commitment to regional maritime security.
This close cooperation spans from exercises such as the Tabletop Exercises (TTX) RAVEN 1, 2 and 3, aboard EUNAVFOR assets, to the Western Indian Ocean Pollution Regional Exercise (WIOPOLREX), including not only the participation of EUNAVFOR assets but also the Joint Operations Centre (JOC), located in the OHQ (Rota, Spain). Furthermore, the collaboration with Omani Maritime Security Centre (MSC) stands as a testament to the expansive operational reach.
In the words of Martin Cauchi Inglott, CRIMARIO II project director: “We welcome EU NAVAL Force Operation ATALANTA, that formally joins the IORIS community, which, as of today, counts more than 40 civilian and military agencies from over 20 countries across the Indo Pacific, from the Western Indian Ocean, through Asia and Southeast Asia and across the Pacific Ocean.
IORIS will support ATALANTA’s in implementing its mandate, providing a framework to exchange operational information, and connecting in real time domestic and international stakeholders to address the evolving challenges in the maritime domain”.
Vice Admiral Nuñez Torrente, EU NAVFOR Operation Commander (OPCDR) commented: “As a maritime security provider, EUNAVFOR ATALANTA is fully committed to the development of the maritime security architecture in the area of operation. In this framework, IORIS is a high-value tool that offers support to the multinational cooperative environment, and it provides significant benefits. It also lays the foundation for interactions of a number of coastal based entities, and international navies operating at sea, as well as a significant improvement in the security of seafarers.”
Looking to the future, EUNAVFOR is gearing up for the advanced exercise “Aldabra II” in Seychelles. In alliance with the Regional Coordination Operations Centre (RCOC) and aboard the Spanish Frigate NAVARRA, the exercise aims to harness the full potential of the IORIS platform, ensuring unparalleled coordination and information flow throughout all the participants.