U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) Report, 7 February to 6 March 2024

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U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) Report, 24 January - 21 February 2024

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U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) Report, 20 December 2023 - 17 January 2024

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U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) Report, 26 October 2022 -23 November 2022

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U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) Report, 20 April to 18 May 2022

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U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) for 10 February to 10 March 2021

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U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) for 23 December 2020 to 20 January 2021

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U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) for 23 April - 20 May 2020 and HORN OF AFRICA/GULF OF GUINEA/SOUTHEAST ASIA Weekly Piracy Update for 14 - 20 May 2020

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U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) for 23 January 2020 to 26 February 2020 and HORN OF AFRICA/GULF OF GUINEA/SOUTHEAST ASIA Weekly Piracy Update for 20- 26 February 2020

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U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) for 12 December 2019 to 15 January 2020 and HORN OF AFRICA/GULF OF GUINEA/SOUTHEAST ASIA Weekly Piracy Update for 9 - 15 January 2020

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Reports of Sinking Ship - Possibly a Warship - Following An Explosion Off Somalia

This is a somewhat odd report from VOA Witnesses in Somalia Report Sinking Ship After Explosion

Officials and residents in Somalia's Puntland region say they saw a large ship off the country's coast explode and gradually begin to sink Monday.

Witnesses in the coastal town of Muranyo describe the ship as looking like a warship, although it was not possible to immediately identify the vessel. They say two other ships in the area came to the aid of the sinking ship and rescued its crew.

Black dot is approx location of Alulu

The region is frequently patrolled by the European Union Naval Force Somalia to disrupt piracy and protect vulnerable shipping, including World Food Program vessels.

"The ship sank around sunset on Monday. Then, two warships came. Locals saw them evacuating the crew. No one has contacted us and we had no ability to extend a rescue at nighttime," said Ali Shire Osman, the chairman of the northern Somali port town of Alula.

One witness described the scene to VOA's Somali service: "A huge explosion happened, which sent plumes of smoke mixed with waves of water into the air. It was a deafening blast and then the ship started to gradually sink," said Mohamed Ahmed. "Then two white warships came to the scene and are still there."
***
The town near where the incident happened is 44 kilometers east of Alula, which has been one of the pirate hubs in Somalia.

The proximity to Yemen may be related.

UPDATE: A possibe explanation from Maritime BulletinShip sank after explosion off Somalia coast – probably RAMA 2?:

// June 27: UK Coast Guard was alerted by Yemeni Coast Guard in the morning June 26, reporting sinking tanker RAMA 2 and lack of capacities to launch SAR. UK CG coordinated SAR, directing to sinking tanker nearby merchant ships. 12 out of 14 crew were rescued by nearby merchant ships, 1 was rescued by UK Navy helicopter, 1 is missing. SAR was hampered by adverse weather. Tanker said to carry some 3,000 tons of fuel on board.

U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) Report 6 March - 5 April 2017

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U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) Report 6 February - 8 March 2017

Apparently some sort of armed folks are back and bobbing about in the Gulf of Aden:

U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) Report 6 February - 8 March 2017 by lawofsea on Scribd

Somali Pirates: Dhow Attacked Off Oman

Reported as Fresh attack as pirate season off coast of Somalia begins:

The first incident of the pirate season came on Monday when an Omani dhow was attacked near the port of Salalah.

Ian Millen, director of intelligence, said that despite industry optimism that the threat had diminished in the region, attacks were still likely in the area.

He said: "Somali pirates are not out of business, even if times are hard when compared to the success of earlier years.

"The pirate business has suffered a few setbacks, but the threat remains a very real one.

"The capability is intact and the motivation of those engaged is unlikely to have been diminished to the point of defeat.

"The message is clear - complacency is the greatest threat and constant vigilance, the greatest weapon in the fight against Somali pirates."

Funny how just this week there were all these news reports declaring the piracy threat ended off Somalia (see i.e.,"Party seems over for Somali pirates").

However, to be perfectly honest, the coast of Oman is not just "off the coast of Somalia" and the spokesman addressing the issue is from a security company that might have a slight interest in keeping the threat of piracy in the news.

Somali Pirates: A Dry Spell in the Sea Pirate Business

"For Somali pirates, July was a very bad month" from CSMonitor.com:

Since June 19, Somalia’s pirates have not successfully taken any vessel hostage, and since June 26, they have not even tried to carry out a hijack.

This marks the longest unbroken stretch of peaceful shipping off Somalia since piracy emerged as a major menace in 2007, and the drop has been attributed to a greater use of armed guards on ships, international naval patrols, and the bad weather.

Weather, the interdiction of pirate "mother ships" by naval forces and the presence of armed security forces on many merchant ships might just cause an alteration in the pirate's business model . . .

On the other hand, let's see what happens when the weather gets better.

Here's the weather guesser prediction of piracy risk based on wind and waves for the next few days from ONI's Piracy Analysis and Weekly Warning Report of 1 Aug 12 (pdf):

In this case, green is good for shipping and bad for the pirates.

UPDATE: More here.

Sea Pirates: Week of 18 June to 25 June 2012

From Live Piracy Report:

20.06.2012: 1200 UTC: Posn: 20:29N – 059:03E, Around 13nm East of Masirah, Oman, (Off Somalia). Pirates hijacked a dhow and took her seven crew members as hostage. Authorities informed.

12.06.2012: 0520 UTC: Posn: 12:49.6N – 43:15.9E, Off Mauyyun Island, Red Sea.
Six skiffs with 3 to 8 persons in each approached a LNG Tanker underway at speeds between 14 to 20 knots. Weapons were sighted in three skiffs. The skiffs approached and started tailing the vessels stern at a distance of around 200/300meters. The onboard security team were deployed and they showed their weapons to the approaching skiffs resulting in the skiffs backing off. Over the next 2.5hrs the skiffs approached the vessel five times from port and stbd sides before moving away.

***

20.06.2012: 0505 UTC: Posn: 20:50.8N-059:30.2E (Around 35nm NE of Masirah Island, Oman), Off Somalia. Pirates in a dhow armed with guns fired upon a LNG tanker underway. Pirates were also armed with RPG. The dhow closed in to 50meters from the ship and fired shots from their guns, of which three hit the vessel. Master enforced anti-piracy measures and managed to evade boarding.

18.06.2012: 1105 UTC: Posn: 12:19N - 043:57E, Gulf of Aden. Six skiffs with 4-6 pirates in each skiff approached a bulk carrier underway at 25 knots from the stbd bow. Master raised alarm, increased speed, altered course and sent distress message. The skiffs attempted to close onto the vessel from the stbd beam and stbd quarter and one skiff tried to approach from the port bow. The onboard armed security team fired eight warning flares but the pirates continued their attempts. Weapons and ladders were identified in the skiff. After nearly 40minutes the security team fired six warning shots and the pirates aborted and moved away. A naval ship came for assistance.

Map from NATO Shipping Center showing location of hijacked dhow, other recent attacks along shipping routes. Emphasis added to reports to reflect reported multi-skiff attacks.

Somali Pirates: "The Menace at Sea" Video

A maritime insurance carrier presents a video of interest at Steamship Mutual - "Piracy - The Menace at Sea"

Somali Pirates: Fishing Vessel Hijacked Off Yemen

NATO Shipping Center reports at NSC | All Alerts:

21/04/2012 22:35:34 Location: [035] GOA - ARABIAN SEA 17 nm south of RAS FARTAK 15 20 N 052 12E Latitude: 15 20 N Longitude: 052 12 E Alert Details: At 1700 UTC / 21 APR 12 / a fishing vessel was hijacked by pirates in position 15 20 N 052 12E 17 nm south of Ras Fartak.

I guess the pirates needed a new mother ship.

Tough on the fishermen, though.

Somali Pirates: Hijacking

NATO reports a hijacking here:

016/12 28/02/2012 12:05 15.02 54.93
Pirated Alert 016/2012 - Pirated
---WARNING WARNING WARNING---

At 281206Z FEB 12 a merchant vessel is currently under attack by 1 skiff in position 15 01N 054 56 E

*** Vessel is hijacked ***

Midrats on Sunday: It's Pirate Time Again

As noted in an earlier post, the weather in the upper Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden is beginning to shift from monsoon back to that more favorable to the operations of pirates in the small open attack boats. After several weeks of slowed pirate activity, the pirates have managed to snag a new victim and her crew of 21.

Arrayed against the pirates are warships from the EU, NATO, China, India, Japan, Singapore, Iran, Russia and armed guard teams embarked on many merchant ships and fishing boats.

Naturally, it's a good time to talk pirates. So, on Sunday, February 12 at 5 pm (Eastern U.S.), that's what we are going to do.

Episode 110 The 21st Century Pirate Threat 02/12 by Midrats on Blog Talk Radio:

The problem with piracy is not going anywhere. Each year in places like Somalia it is becoming part of the local economy. In areas near poorlly governed areas, it threatens the free flow of goods at market prices through the world's sea lines of communication.

Is it an economic problem, a global security problem, a political problem, or a mixture of that and more?

What is the impact of international aid, military action, and the paying of ransom? What are the best solutions, and what is working and what is not working to slow the impact of piracy?

Join Sal from "CDR Salamander" and EagleOne (that's me!) from "Eagle Speak" for the full hour to discuss these issues and more with their guest, Rear Admiral Terry McKnight, USN (Ret.), former Commander of the anti-piracy CTF-151 off the horn of Africa.

Here's the link to listen live. If you miss the show you can download it later from here or from iTunes (podcasts under "Midrats").