Tag Archives: somali pirates

Just when you thought the Red Sea was a nice place again

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On Saturday 25th March the Italian Navy Maestrale class frigate, ITS Espero, joined the EU Naval Force off the coast of Somalia. Odds are, they are going to need it, and a few minesweepers.

Saudi Naval forces along the Hodeida coast have found and cleared a number of Houthi-placed sea mines.

From Al Arabiya:

Saudi and Yemeni naval engineers cleared Iranian-made mines which Houthi militias planted along the coast of the Hodeida area.

Mines were swept by the water currents to the sea so the coalition forces had to look for them and remove them to protect fishermen and oil tankers in international waters.

Few days ago, a mine blew up killing a number of fishermen and injuring others.

The largest number of mines was planted along the coasts in north and south Hodeida with technical help from Iranian and Hezbollah experts who entered Yemen for this particular task, according to the Yemeni legitimate army.

Meanwhile, it’s apparently open season on Somali refugees encountered at sea, with 42 reportedly killed off the Yemeni coast near Hodeida in a helicopter-borne attack. Word on the street is that the chopper came from allies of the recognized Yemeni government (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE have all reportedly used AH-64s in the conflict), while other sources pin it on the Houthi who are lacking in helicopter gunships.

And, to further amp up regional tensions for mariners, Somali pirates recently returned from retirement due to bad fishing grounds have reportedly hijacked a dhow in the vicinity of Eyl, a city in northern Somalia that was once a hub for maritime piracy. Local authorities suggest that they may intend to use the small vessel for hijacking a merchant ship further offshore.

And the beat goes on…

PMCs Vs Somali Pirates

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http://www.liveleak.com/e/5e2_1333668975

 

Not a lot of background info here. Is being purported to be a group of Private Military Contractors aboard an unidentified merchant vessel off the Somali Coast. At about 40 seconds into the video you see a small fast boat approach danger close and attempt to board or at least menace the much larger merchie. A team of 2-4 PMCs armed with semi-automatic AR-15 platforms engage the small boat extensively and drive it off. Note the PMC’s sandbagged defensive position, nomex gear, and other interesting pieces of kit. Also it looks like they have a non-lethal LRAD set up, although you cannot tell if it is being used or not.

 

USS Carney Stops Pirates

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From U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs

USS CARNEY, At Sea (NNS) — USS Carney (DDG 64), part of NATO’s counter-piracy task force Operation Ocean Shield, worked with other NATO forces and coalition partners to disrupt pirate activity in the Gulf of Aden, Dec. 5.

A Japanese maritime patrol aircraft patrolling the area on counter-piracy operations spotted a suspicious skiff with seven suspected pirates aboard and contacted the NATO flagship ITS Andrea Doria who in turn tasked Carney to investigate.

In a coordinated operation, Carney approached the skiff, while the patrol aircraft circled overhead. As the warship appeared on the horizon the skiff attempted to flee however it stopped when hailed.

The patrol aircraft and Carney observed the suspected pirates throwing items overboard. The items were visually confirmed by the patrol aircraft as ladders and other pirate-related equipment.

A team from Carney boarded the skiff and after a thorough search seized the excess fuel and other items useful to piracy activity, before ensuring the skiff had enough fuel to return to the Somali coast.

In 2009, 45 ships were hijacked in the region; so far in 2011, 21 ships have been hijacked effectively halving the number of ships taken. Naval warships have been in the region constantly providing a visible presence and deterrence and this has undoubtedly contributed to the pirates’ lack of success.

Carney is currently deployed, assigned to NATO, conducting counter-piracy operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations.

For more news from Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/5th Fleet, visit www.navy.mil/local/cusnc/.

 

Pirates 0, Her Majesty’s Ships 3

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Royal Navy strikes third major blow in a week against pirates

A suspected pirate mother ship has been stopped by the Royal Navy in the third blow dealt to pirates in the past week by UK forces. The dhow – thought to be the launchpad for last week’s attack on an Italian cargo ship – was stopped by the combined efforts of HMS Somerset, RFA Fort Victoria, Royal Marines Commandos and a Merlin helicopter from 829 Naval Air Squadron some 200 miles off Somalia.


A burst of fire sends fountains of water shooting up from the Indian Ocean as another show of overwhelming force from the Royal Navy forces suspected pirates to stop.

This is the moment a pirate mother ship – thought to be behind last week’s attack on an Italian cargo ship – is halted in the third blow in a week dealt to Somali pirates by UK forces.

After freeing the crew of the Montecristo and Pakistani fishermen held hostage on their dhow, the combined punch of RFA Fort Victoria, HMS Somerset, Royal Marines Commandos, raiding craft and a Merlin helicopter struck again, this time snaring a suspected mother ship.

Some 200 miles off the coast of Somalia, Royal Marines from RFA Fort Victoria boarded the hijacked vessel as the men aboard desperately tossed piratical paraphernalia – weapons and boarding equipment – into the Indian Ocean and set one of their skiffs adrift.

Those desperate actions were to no avail – they were observed by the Merlin helicopter from HMS Somerset, which had found the dhow at first light and shadowed it as the frigate and supply ship Fort Victoria closed in.

Even so it took shots across the bow and the Royal Marines scaling the vessel’s side to cause the suspected pirates to capitulate.

Capt Rod Yapp Royal Marines, the commander of the boarding team, said:

“Approaching the dhow before boarding was quite tense. Through my weapon sight I could see dark figures moving in the shadows on the bridge.”
“We quickly boarded and secured the dhow then mustered the 24 occupants on her bow.”

His team found ample evidence that the vessel was being used as the launchpad for pirate attacks: there was a large cache of boarding ladders, weapons, a second attack skiff and equipment from a previously-pirated ship.

Capt Yapp added:

“There was a clear indication that the suspected pirates found on the dhow were well-practised and knew what they were doing.”
“One of the weapons had recently been fired and was well maintained – as was the RPG rocket. I think that if we hadn’t disrupted this group of suspected pirates, it is quite possible that they would have attacked another merchant vessel.”

The green berets also found 20 Pakistani sailors being held hostage. While they were free to go on their way once evidence gathering had finished, the four suspected pirates who were apprehended were handed over to the Italian authorities on suspicion of their involvement in the attack on the MV Montecristo.

The bulk carrier was attacked at the beginning of last week and spent a day and a half in the hands of pirates; her crew were able to retreat to the engine room and were freed when Fort Victoria and her commandos arrived on the scene after picking up the Italians’ SOS.

Fort Victoria is carrying out NATO’s counter-piracy mission in the Indian Ocean, Operation Ocean Shield, while HMS Somerset is currently assigned to the Combined Maritime Forces counter-piracy mission, Combined Task Force (CTF) 151.

Describing this latest success, Somerset’s CO Cdr Paul Bristowe said:

“The mother-ship was located by Somerset’s Merlin helicopter at first light and the boarding teams brought to immediate notice whilst Somerset closed with the dhow.”
The vessel was soon surrounded by a Royal Navy and Royal Marines boarding team from RFA Fort Victoria, supported by HMS Somerset’s helicopter.”
“This operation demanded high levels of seamanship to ensure that the dhow was kept under close observation as the boarding party moved in,” said Fort Victoria’s Commanding Officer, Capt Shaun Jones RFA.”

Capt Gerry Northwood, in charge of the counter-piracy mission aboard Fort Victoria, added:
“This decisive and timely action by the Royal Navy, along with the rescue of the Montecristo on October 11, will send a strong message to those who wish to commit piracy in this part of the world.”
“Somali-based piracy seeks to undermine the freedom of the seas across a wide area.”
“Their victims are local traders and fishermen of the Indian Ocean as well as sailors in the large merchant ships carrying the vital trade on which the UK economy depends.”

http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/News-and…ird-Major-Blow


A member of the upper deck gun crew on RFA Fort Victoria, with Royal Navy frigate HMS Somerset in the background
[Picture: Leading Airman (Photographer) Dave Jenkins, Crown Copyright/MOD 2011]

Royal Marines boarding teams close in on the dhow
[Picture: Leading Airman (Photographer) Dave Jenkins, Crown Copyright/MOD 2011]