Yo Ho Orion!

The German navy resumed P-3C Orion flights Sept. 14 in support of the EU's Operation Atalanta counter-piracy mission off the Somali coast, providing information on ship movements to the EU NAVFOR Somalia task force.

Photo: Bundeswehr/PAO Atalanta

Flight operations had been suspended at the beginning of July due to the monsoon season, which severely hinders pirates.

The Orion, which uses the call sign "Jester," flew from its home base of Nordholz Sept. 8 to the French base of Ariené in Djibouti, with a stopover in Sicily. It was preceded in early August by the first members of a 50-strong support contingent, which reestablished the necessary ground infrastructure.

The deployment lasts until December.