CHANGE OF FORCE COMMANDER FOR EUNAVFOR MED OPERATION IRINI AT SOUDA NAVAL BASE
On April 1st, 2026, the Change of Command ceremony of the Task Force of EUNAVFOR MED Operation IRINI took place at the Greek Naval Base in Souda. The EUNAVFOR MED Operation Commander, Rear Admiral Marco CASAPIERI, attended the event, formally transferring the Force Commander authority from Greek Rear Admiral Spyridon POLLATOS to Italian Rear Admiral Andrea BIELLI, in accordance with the rotation agreed among EU contributing Nations.
The Operation IRINI Task Force alternates Command every six months between Italy and Greece, ensuring balanced leadership and continuous operational effectiveness. Each of these nations periodically assigns the flagship from which the Force Commander exercises tactical command of naval and air assets operating in the central Mediterranean and directs the multinational staff made available by Member States.
Over the past six months, Operation IRINI has carried out nearly 4,000 operational activities, including hailings, imagery collection, and friendly approaches involving almost 3,000 vessels transiting the area of interest in the Mediterranean. These operations were supported by intensive monitoring of merchant traffic, maximizing the use of assigned naval and air assets. The activities conducted reflect the Operation’s EU mandate to enforce United Nations resolutions and ensure maritime security, safeguarding the interests of the European Union in the Mediterranean region.
In this context, the recently assigned Maritime Situational Awareness (MSA) task now underpins the Operation’s original tasks, including the enforcement of the UN arms embargo on Libya, the fight against illicit oil trafficking, and the disruption of human trafficking networks. Furthermore, the MSA task has strengthened the overall effectiveness of the Operation by supporting the protection of Critical Maritime Infrastructure (CMI) and enhancing the monitoring of other illicit activities, including the Shadow Fleet (SF). The CB&T task also remains essential, with Operation actively developing capacity-building and training initiatives to support Libyan institutions responsible for law enforcement and SAR at sea.
In closing the ceremony Rear Admiral CASAPIERI expressed sincere appreciation to all contributing countries for their constant support during the last rotation. He commended Rear Admiral POLLATOS and his staff for their professionalism, while wishing Rear Admiral BIELLI “fair winds and following seas” as he assumes Command of the Task Force.
Following the handover, Rear Admiral BIELLI assumed command of Operation IRINI’s Task Force from the Italian flagship MOROSINI, continuing to ensure operational readiness and maritime security in the area of operations in the Mediterranean.
