Pirates: Not Dead Yet

According to the Office of Naval Intelligence Piracy Analysis and Warning Weekly (PAWW) Report for 27 February – 5 March 2014 there still be pirates out there attempting things:

1. (U) OMAN: On 6 March, three suspicious white skiffs approached a merchant vessel near position
22:27.1 N - 060:29.2 E, approximately 122 nm southeast of Muscat, Oman. The skiffs with two persons onboard each skiff approached the ship to within a half mile. After self protection measures were initiated by the crew, the
skiffs moved away. (NATO Shipping Centre)
2. (U) PAKISTAN: On 28 February, suspected pirates in a skiff chased an underway Bangladeshi-flagged bulk carrier, MV CRYSTAL GOLD near position 24:33 N – 062:44 E, approximately 40 nm southeast of
Gwadar, Pakistan. The pirates reportedly chased for up to four hours. The vessel took evasive measures as outlined in BMP 4, reported the incident to UKMTO, and headed towards the Pakistani coast. The Pakistani
Navy deployed a naval asset which located the skiff and detained the suspected pirates. The vessel's owners said there were 23 Bangladeshi crewmen on their vessel. (IMB, The Daily Star (Bangladesh), The New
Nation (Bangladesh)
3. (U) RED SEA: On 3 March, pirates approached an Iranian-flagged tanker near the Bab al Mandeb Strait, in the southern Red Sea. Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari told reporters that the
armed pirates attempted to attack the ship twice and that Iranian Naval forces thwarted the attacks. (Fars News Agency)

and in the Gulf of Guinea:

U) Kidnapping:
(U) NIGERIA: On 4 March at approximately 0130 local time, pirates boarded the Nigerian-flagged offshore supply vessel PRINCE JOSEPH 1 and kidnapping three crewmembers near position 04 17 N - 007 53 E,
Bight of Bonny, off Akwa Ibom State. After the pirates departed the vessel, the remaining crewmembers sailed to the port of Onne. (www.news.odin.tc)
***
(U) Vessels Fired Upon/Attempted Boardings:
(U)
NIGERIA: On 4 March, armed pirates attempted to board an underway bulk carrier near position 04:00 N–005:16 E, approximately 60 nm west-southwest of Brass. The pirates in two skiffs chased and fired upon the
vessel during the attempted boarding. The vessel raised the alarm and non-essential crew mustered in the citadel. Master increased speed, took evasive maneuvers and sent SSAS alert. Due to the hardening measures
taken by the Ship’s Master the pirates aborted the attempted attack and moved away. The vessel sustained damage due to bullets striking the accommodation area.

Also of interest is this report on the counter-piracy prowess of the remarkable Iranian

navy:

Commander of the Iranian Navy says the country’s naval forces have thwarted over 150 pirate attacks on Iranian merchant vessels and oil tankers in the past four years.

“Over the past four years, the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy warships have escorted some 2,000 merchant vessels and freighters…and provided full security for the passage of Iranian vessels in a way that pirates have been unable to mount an attack on our ships,” Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said on Thursday.

He added that Iranian naval forces arrested a number of pirates in four occasions.

Simply amazing!


Hat tip to Bryan!

Oh my gosh! Iran's Navy to threaten to sail into the Atlantic Ocean

The ever awesome Iranian navy is venturing forth to touch the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, thus striking dread and fear in the hearts and minds of  . . . well, exactly who is impressed? Story here.

Must be intended for the naive and clueless, because a force like that described is mostly a threat to international navigation.

The Decline of Somali Pirates and the Rise of Private Security

As is now well-documented, Somali pirates had an awful 2013 - recording no hijackings. Perhaps they are "lying doggo" waiting for all the naval patrols and armed security teams to go away when the providing states and shipowners decide the cost of maintaining them is too high.

In any event, there is this:

Undoubtedly shipping industry adherence to industry Best Management Practices (BMP) has been vitally important, so too has been the reassurance of patrolling navies. However, the single most effective protection and deterrent against pirates has been the widespread deployment of privately contracted armed security personnel (PCASP) onboard vulnerable vessels.

Enhanced professionalism within the private maritime security industry has acted as a catalyst for the protection of vessels, and it still remains that no armed merchant vessel has yet been hijacked. Despite successes, piracy clearly remains a danger with pirates still operating, and all stakeholders are urged to avoid complacency.

Of course, if you are Iranian, this "war on piracy" has been a singular victory, as set out here, dated 8 Jan:

An attempt by pirates to hijack an Iranian oil tanker in international waters was foiled by the timely action of the Iranian warships present in the region.

Lieutenant Commander of the Iranian Navy for Operations Admiral Siyavash Jarreh announced on Wednesday that the Navy's 28th fleet of warship saved the Iranian tanker from pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden.

"The Iranian oil tanker was attacked by 12 pirate boats this morning but they failed due to the timely action of the 28th flotilla of warships and the pirates fled the scene," he added.

The admiral underlined that the Iranian oil tanker was escorted by the Navy flotilla through the waterway and continued its path towards its destination fully safely.

In relevant remarks last month, a senior Iranian commander praised the exceptionally good performance of the country's naval forces for maintaining security to the international waters by escorting thousands of vessels in the high seas.

“In the last three years, around 3,000 cargo ships and oil tankers have been escorted by the Navy’s commandos and vessels,” Commander of the Iranian Navy’s Missile Program Admiral Ali Vafadar told FNA in December.

He also said that pirates' attempts to hijack 147 cargo ships and oil tankers in international waters have been aborted due to the timely action of the Iranian warships deployed in the region.

Vafadar said that the Iranian naval forces have also managed to seize control of a number of pirate boats and vessels, arrest their crews and transferred them to Iran to stand trial for their crimes.

From THE NAVAL INSTITUTE GUIDE TO COMBAT FLEETS OF THE WORLD, 16th Edition Their Ships, Aircraft, and Systems by Eric Wertheim

It appears the Somali pirates have not disappeared from the seas, instead, they are focusing on Iranian ships in great numbers.

I wonder how those "trials" are going . . .

Odd, though, the last time (20 Dec 2013) we heard of the "28th Flotilla," it in Sri Lanka, as set out here:

“The 28th Flotilla of this force comprising Alborz warship, Bandar Abbas warship and semi-heavy Younus submarine as well as a 212 combat helicopter berthed at Colombo port, Sri Lanka, after departing from India’s Mumbai port and travelling thousands of kilometers,” Lieutenant Navy Commander for Operations Siyavash Jarreh said on Friday.

The pictures show the ships of the "Mighty 28th."

They made pretty good time from Colombo to the "Gulf of Aden" traveling all those "thousands of kilometers."

A veritable fast task force.

Iran Announces Naval Deployment to East Asia - Even - Oh, Wow! - A Submarine

Iranian Tareq-class Sub

A part of Iran's Navy gets to go a'sailing, reported by Farsnews:

The (Iranian) Navy will dispatch the ultra heavy Tareq-class submarine, ‘Younus’ as part of the Navy’s 28th flotilla of warships to the countries of East Asia,” Lieutenant Commander of the Iranian Navy for Operations Admiral Siyavash Jarreh said Wednesday afternoon, a few hours before the 28th flotilla left the harbor in Southern Iran.

Frigate Alborz

He underlined Iran's sophisticated technology in the naval industry, saying “The most complicated technology of world’s military equipment belongs to submarines.”

The Admiral said that Alborz destroyer and Bandar Abbas helicopter-carrier warship will accompany Younus in this crucially important extraterritorial mission of the Iranian Navy.

“The Navy’s 28th Flotilla will berth at Mumbai and Colombo ports during its voyage,” he added.

The "Tareq-class" is group of three the Iranian Russian-made Project 877 (NATO Kilo) class submarines.

Mumbai is an Indian ports and Colombo is a port in Sri Lanka.

The bragging about the Iranian tech is because the Iranians overhauled their subs and they still seem to work.

As far as the "Bandar Abbas helicopter-carrier warship" - well, there is, identified in the invaluable (and virtually no place else) THE NAVAL INSTITUTE GUIDE TO COMBAT FLEETS OF THE WORLD, 16th Edition Their Ships, Aircraft, and Systems by Eric Wertheim* this little 4700 ton oiler that apparently can carry a single small helicopter in its telescoping helicopter hanger. Just a little over-statement of capability, right?

*Let me again recommend THE NAVAL INSTITUTE GUIDE TO COMBAT FLEETS OF THE WORLD, 16th Edition Their Ships, Aircraft, and Systems by Eric Wertheim as a Christmas gift to the "navalist" in your life (even if that means "self-gifting" it). No better reference exists.

Somali Pirates: Iran says, "Iran Navy saves cargo ship attacked by pirates"

Sabalan

The wondrous Iran forces of naval might have done it again!

Or, as Press TV (the state news mouthpiece) says, "Iran Navy saves cargo ship attacked by pirates":

An Iranian Navy commander says the country’s naval forces have successfully saved an Iranian merchant vessel which had come under attack by pirates in the Gulf of Aden.

Five boats with armed pirates on board approached and attacked the Iranian freighter on Monday, said Deputy Commander of the Iranian Navy for Operations Rear Admiral Siavash Jarreh.

The commander stated that Iran’s 27th Naval Fleet - comprised of the Sabalan destroyer and Lark helicopter carrier - rushed to assist the cargo ship upon its distress call.

Iranian Navy marines managed to foil the pirate attack after getting engaged in a fire fight that lasted for several hours. No injuries were reported among the crew members of the Iranian ships. (emphasis added)

Let me deal with the second highlight first. Assuming that any of this nonsense is true, really - "fire fight that lasted for several hours?" Against 5 little boats with pirates who are mostly armed with AK-47s and an RPG or two?

Right.

The "destroyer" identified as "Sabalan" is not poorly armed for counter-piracy (assuming all the things work):

4 x C-802 anti-ship missiles
1 × 4.5 inch (114 mm) Mark 8 gun
1 x twin 35 mm AAA, 2 x single 20 mm AAA
2 × 81 mm mortars, 2 × 0.50cal machine guns, 1 x Limbo ASW mortar, 2 x triple 12.75 in torpedo tubes

IF it took "several hours" to deal with the pirates, someone was not doing something right.

Stern view of Kharg oiler, showing hangers for helicopters

The other interesting question deals with the first highlight above, referencing the "Lark helicopter carrier."

This is the first reference I've seen to that ship or a "helicopter carrier" in Iranian service.

Now, it may be that it is a simple mistake and what was meant was the Iranian oiler, Kharg - which can, in fact, carry two helicopters.

Or it may be the figment of some Press TV writer's over-active imagination.

Or Iranian assignment of labels that make no sense in a naval context.

Wonder never cease in the information wars.

Iran: Grand Scale Press Puffery

Iranian press releases concerning their military capabilities never cease to amaze - much like the lurid covers of the lamented World Weekly News - the simple absurdity of the puffed up claims is, if nothing else, captivating.

For example, here's a interesting story: PressTV - Iran Navy plans to expand presence near South Pole

Iran’s Navy has launched plans to extend its presence in the international waters near the South Pole, Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari says.

Iran wants to visit the polar bears!

“We have the capability to hoist Iran’s flags in different regions from the North Pole to the South Pole and we are preparing plans for presence near the South Pole,” Sayyari said on Friday.

Well, since the South Pole sits on top of a rather large land mass, covered with ice 2700 meters (9000 ft) deep, the Iranian Navy must have some really special ships.

If he means Iran has ships that can sail off the coast of Antarctica, so do the clowns of Whale Wars, and pretty much every other sea-going county in the world. All of which points out how modest these plans are, I suppose. Might as well announce plans to go to the grocery store. As far as I can tell, there is no one standing in their way.

The real question is why the Iranians would want to make the effort to go to polar regions. For that, I have no answer, unless it's "because they are there."

Of course, the Iranians also plan to expand their force to provide protection for the U.S. coast by patrolling the Atlantic, though they seem to couch it in different terms:

Earlier this month, Sayyari said Iran aims to put warships in international waters off the U.S. coast "within the next few years." He also said Iran's navy would be "present anywhere in international waters in order to safeguard the Islamic Republic's interests."

Portions of the Iranian Navy

We know it is "peaceful" because they keep reassuring us that is the case:

Tehran has repeatedly clarified that its military might is merely based on the nation's defense doctrine of deterrence and poses no threat to other countries.

So, if they are not a threat, they must be planning to put a force off our coast in international waters to lend us a hand in patrolling the sea lanes of commerce to keep them open for free commerce between nations of good will . . . .

The Iranian Islamic Revolution Guard Guard Corps Navy also likes to provide tales of their heroic prowess to gullible minds. Here's an example of a joint press release from the IRGCN itself:

Iran keeps a watchful eye on naval moves of the enemies in the region and is fully informed of all their military actions due to its intelligence supremacy over the enemies, a senior commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps said.

"We have good intelligence and security supremacy over enemies' moves in the Persian Gulf given our modern and advanced equipments, and our operational and intelligence patrols deep into the Persian Gulf have increased the capability," Commander of the IRGC's Second Naval Zone General Ali Razmjou told reporters in Iran's Southern port city of Bushehr.

He said that the Persian Gulf has become "an unconquerable stronghold" for Iran, but at the same time noted that Iran's military capabilities are only meant to promote the country's deterrent power.

Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari had also earlier this week stressed Iran's intelligence supremacy over US moves in the region, and noted that Iran is well informed of the details of the US naval moves in the region.

Do they know about this?

"We are well aware of the exact number and the position of the US surface vessels, aircrafts, submarines and minesweeping warships in the region," Sayyari underscored on Friday.

You know, for a peace loving country the Iranians seem to have lots of "enemies."

"Intelligence supremacy." Snort.

Iran Fights Pirates -- Better than Anyone Else! Ever! ... Yeah, that's it

From Iran's Fars News Agency - "Navy Thwarts Attempted Hijack of 2 Iranian Cargo Ships":

Lieutenant Commander of the Iranian Navy Rear Admiral Seyed Mahmoud Moussavi said that the Iranian vessels were attacked twice by a total number of 50 Somali pirate speedboats 15 and 26 miles Northwest of the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.

Moussavi stated that the Iranian naval forces' swift action and their heavy fire forced the pirates to flee the scene.

50 pirate speedboats? 50? Two attacks of 25 each or what?

UPDATE: Well, perhaps it was even more:

Iran's Navy Deputy Commander Rear Admiral Mahmoud Mousavi said Saturday that the two vessels were attacked by 30-50 pirate speedboats respectively at 15 and 26 miles northwest of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. The pirates fled after Iran's Navy took swift action and opened heavy fire on them, he added.


Mousavi added that the vessels were carrying millions of dollars worth of goods.

So, perhaps it was 60 or 100 pirate boats? Awesome.

Unbelievable.

Literally.

Bring back the Weekly World News. You know, with news you can rely on:

Of course, if I were Iran I might worry about that particular headline.

Somali Pirates: Iran Navy Rescues Crew of Chinese Ship, Captures Pirates

See initial report of hijacking here.

Now, it appears the Iranians have come to the rescue as reported in "Hijacked ship crew members rescued":

All 28 Chinese crew members aboard a China-linked cargo ship hijacked by Somali pirates were rescued on Friday, the Chinese embassy in Tehran said.

The cargo ship, Xianghuamen, was hijacked by Somali pirates at about 8:40 am local time (0410 GMT) on Friday in the Sea of Oman near Iran's southern port of Chabahar.
***
Nine Somali pirates climbed onto the cargo ship by their own ladders, fired shots on the ship and seized the Chinese crew members on board.

Two Iranian naval warships participating in the rescue operation followed the vessel and ordered the pirates to surrender. The pirates later threw their weapons into the sea and surrendered to the Iranian navy.

The hijacked cargo ship's engine was damaged and is in repair. Later the ship will head for the Iranian port of Gask, 70 miles (about 112 km) away from where the hijacking occurred and 200 miles (about 322 km) away from the vessel's destination.

Kudos to the Iranian Navy.

No word on the cargo of the vessel.

Somali Pirates and Iran's Massive Navy - Unbelievable!

Well, it really is unbelievable but according to Iran's PressTV ""Iran's Navy successfully stops another piracy take over" after a 36 hour sea battle, etc, etc.

Thousands of Iranian navy men in the Indian ocean.
Commander of Iran’s Navy says currently there are over 11,000 navy men in the Indian ocean to counter piracy attacks.

Admiral Habibollah Sayyari also told Press TV Iran currently has 19 defense Navy vessels in the Indian ocean. and has received the coveted strategic defense award by the “International Maritime Organization” (IMO).

According to the Admiral, in the past three years Iran has escorted over 1500 ships safely in the Indian ocean and has reduced the fighting with pirates from 100 to 44.

I'm sure I lost something in the translation but I have no idea what the last sentence means.

But wait, there's canned video!

As I said - unbelievable!!

UPDATE: In fairness to the admiral and because the reporting is so poor, there probably are 19 warships and close to 11,000 men and women serving in the IO. It's just that they aren't Iranian Navy ships or men (and especially not Iranian women). I also think that the 100 to 44 reduction refers to the overall incidence of pirate attacks in the region.

Your estimates of Iran's role in reducing these attacks may vary.

UPDATE2: No, I have no idea what the IMO "strategic defense award" is or how Iran got it, if it did. But I would be happy to learn about it in the comments.

More information from the Tehran Times:

Speaking at a press conference, Sayyari said that the pirates were captured 3000 kilometers off Iran’s shorelines in the Indian Ocean.

The pirates had attacked an Iran-bound commercial ship, which was carrying 10,000 tons of goods, but Iranian naval forces, in a special operation on March 30 and 31 which lasted 36 hours, managed to foil the attack and capture the pirates, Sayyari explained.

The Navy used the Jamaran destroyer in the operation.

The Jamaran is the first domestically manufactured destroyer, which can carry helicopters and is equipped with torpedoes.

The pirates have been transferred to Iranian soil.

UPDATE3: connected.

UPDATE4: Well, there is another version that reports a ransom was paid.

Somali Pirates: The Defense Strikes Back

FGS Koln

Numerous reports of naval vessels and air units from several different navies taking action against Somali pirates.

First, a German frigate and a French aircraft hit them off Tanzania FGS KOELN disrupts and sinks Pirate Action Group:

On 4 November 2011, following a coordinated search and detection by a French Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance aircraft, the German warship FGS KOELN, operating as part of the EU NAVFOR, disrupted a pirate action group comprising a whaler and skiff, 50 nautical miles off the coast of Tanzania.

Pirates toss RPG over the side (EU NAVFOR photo)

On detection, the suspect pirates jettisoned their pirate equipment overboard and were stopped. They have been transferred onboard FGS KOELN and the two pirate boats sunk, preventing their use against merchant shipping in the area.

Second, a Singapore Navy ship and its helicopter play "Whack-a-Pirate:"

Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) warship RSS Endeavour of the Republic of Singapore, assigned to the mission-based counter-piracy Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, disrupted two separate attacks by suspected pirates on merchant vessels transiting the Arabian Sea south of Oman, Nov.1.

Suspect "Mother Dhow" with skiff (Singapore Navy photo)

RSS Endeavour was conducting counter-piracy operations east of the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) in the Gulf of Aden. The Merchant Shipping Industry Best Management Practices (BMP) encourages merchant vessels to register with the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organisation (UKMTO) whilst in the high risk area for piracy. The MV BW BROKER contacted UKMTO at approximately 8:00am and stated they were being chased by a suspicious skiff with seven people on board. A ladder, which is a tool used by pirates to board vessels, was visible in the skiff and this indicated to the crew that it may be pirates. (CTF) 151 Commander, Rear Admiral Kaleem Shaukat, Pakistan Navy, authorized RSS Endeavour to take appropriate steps to respond. RSS Endeavour altered course to intercept the MV BW BROKER and established direct communication with the merchant vessel. RSS Endeavour also launched one of its embarked helicopters to rapidly provide direct support to the merchant vessel.

Somali Pirates: NATO Alert 29 Sept 11

 Let me be the latest to warn that the weather soon will be improving in the upper Indian Ocean area and when the seas calm a bit, the Somali pirates will be out in force. Currently, a pirate action group or groups seems to be focusing in the lower Red Sea area (lots of islands to hide around) near the chokepoint of Bab el Mandeb. There are reports of Indian naval vessels interdicting pirates (see here, as well as the usual Iranian claims of rescuing most of the world from pirates, see here- "An attempt by the Somali pirates to hijack a Russian vessel was thwarted after an Iranian fleet of warships present in the region rushed to the scene. " - a "fleet?" - Really?).

Checking the wind conditions in the Gulf of Aden and the other areas most affected by pirates is pretty easy - along the right side of this blog I have the updates kindly put out by WeatherOnline. Based on the most recent reports, it looks as if the winds are dropping into safe conditions for pirate small boats operations.

You can view all NATO Shipping Center Somali Piracy Alerts here, but the most recent is:

Alert number 220 / 2011 28/09/2011 11:40 14 03N 042 48E Attacked

---WARNING WARNING WARNING---

Alert number 220 / 2011.

At 1140 UTC / 28 SEP 11 / a merchant vessel has been attacked by skiffs in position 14 03 N 042 48 E

***This vessel managed to evade hijack***

***Vessel is SAFE***

The Pirate Attack Group is still in the area, and there have been reports that these skiffs have been involved in at least two other piracy attempts in the same region.

The lead boat of the group is described as a very fast white skiff.

While navigating in the Southern Red Sea and Bab al Mandeb regions, vessels are urged to operate at a heightened state of readiness, and implement Self Protective Measures in accordance with Best Management Practices Version 4 (dated August 2011). For further details, please see www.mschoa.org. or http://www.shipping.nato.int/Pages/BMP.aspx

Iran: Atlantic Deployment Off U.S. Coast? Come right ahead. We'll be here waiting.

Something was making my "SWO sense"* tingle, and my humor alerts were ringing, and then, well then, I read this- Iran says could deploy navy near U.S. coast:

Iran raised the prospect on Tuesday of sending military ships close to the United States' Atlantic coast, in what would be a major escalation of tensions between the long-standing adversaries.

"Like the arrogant powers that are present near our marine borders, we will also have a powerful presence close to American marine borders," the head of the Navy, Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said, according to the official IRNA news agency.

Speaking at a ceremony marking the 31st anniversary of the start of the 1980-1988 war with Iraq, Sayyari gave no details of when such a deployment could happen or the number or type of vessels to be used.

Arrogant SOB that I am, I was doing one of those rolling on the floor laughing demonstrations (which disrupted my workplace as you might guess).

This "announcement" (propaganda piece) just gets better as I read various analyes (e.g. here) of the proposed venture to the new world, many of take a more excited tone than I can about a fifth rate naval power venturing across the seas.

More. Later. Maybe much later, when the great "Iranian Caribbean Fleet" gets underway.


*Surface Warfare Officer sense - sort of an ESP-like Spidey sense thingie

Iranian Subs Go to Sea = Yawn

Iranian Kilo-Class Sub

Much ado has been made about an announced sortie of Iranian ships (and wow!, maybe a submarine) in the Red Sea, see Iranian Navy Deploys Submarines in High Seas.

International waters is international waters, and the Iranians have as much right to be out there as anyone else with a boat collection.

I view this more as a publicity ploy that allows other naval forces to collect intelligence on Iranian submarines.

Here's the whole Fars News Agency report for your reading pleasure (I added some highlighting, but left off the snarking):

Informed sources said that the Iranian Navy has deployed its submarines in far seas as part of its plan for widening its naval presence in the high seas and oceans.

An informed source told FNA on Tuesday that the submarines were deployed in international waters together with the dispatch of 14th fleet of warships sent by Iran to the high seas.

The move comes after high-ranking Navy commanders announced preparedness to send submarines to long-term missions.

The source said that Iran's fleet of warships is now in the Red Sea as part of its naval mission.

"Identifying combat vessels of the different world countries, collecting information about sea beds in international waters are among the main tasks of these submarines," the source added.

The Iranian Navy dispatched its 14th flotilla of warships to the Gulf of Aden in May to protect the country's cargo ships and oil tankers against Somali pirates.

The 14th fleet of warships, comprised of IRI Bandar Abbas Warship and IRI Shahid Naqdi Destroyer, is tasked with patrolling and providing security for Iran's shipping lines.

In March, a senior Navy commander of the Iranian Army stressed the need for the Navy to boost its naval deployments outside the country's territorial waters as a strategic force.

"The Navy is in the middle of field and should be present all throughout the world seas," Lieutenant Commander of the Iranian Navy Rear Admiral Gholam-Reza Khadem Biqam said at the time.

Also in March, Commander of Iran's Navy Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari announced that the Iranian Navy planned to expand its operational zone far beyond the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman in the next Iranian year (started on March 21).

In December, Sayyari said that the country was deploying submarines in the high seas to further boost its military power.

"To become the superior power in the region, we should turn into a regional power in military defense, and we should prove our might and capability not only inside, but also outside the region," he continued.

The Iranian Army Navy and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy have tight cooperation in controlling the country's waterways and protecting Iran's interests inside territorial waters and in the high seas.

Iran's naval power has even been acknowledged by foes. In a Sep. 11, 2008 report, the Washington Institute for the Near East Policy said that in the two decades since the Iraqi imposed war on Iran, the Islamic Republic has excelled in naval capabilities and is able to wage unique asymmetric warfare against larger naval forces.

According to the report, Iran's Navy has been transformed into a highly motivated, well-equipped, and well-financed force and is effectively in control of the world's oil lifeline, the Strait of Hormuz.

You might note that the Iranian "flotilla" and "fleet" consists of two surface ships. The IRIS Bandar Abas is a support and training ship and the other ship is a corvette, regardless of how Fars classifies it.

Exactly where the submarine (In my view, probably a single submarine, not "submarines" as indicated in the Fars piece) has deployed is not revealed except in "international waters." Maybe that's the Red Sea, maybe that's 30 miles off the Iranian coast.

Iranian Nahang Mini-Sub

Iran's submarine fleet is not large, as set out here:

Iran's submarine force currently consists of three Russian Kilo-class diesel-electric submarines (Tareq 901, Noor 902, Yunes 903), one 500-ton Nahang and four 120-ton Yono-class (also referred to as Qadir or Ghadir-class) midget submarines.

Iranian Ghadir Midget Sub

I doubt they sent any of the midget boats out, unless they were carried on some other ship. The Nahang is mini-sub, with external weapons, and unlikely to make a long transit. So, let's say they sent a Kilo somewhere. Good for them. Other navies do that all the time, without all the hoopla. Of course, this announcement is all about hoopla, isn't it?


This deployment reminds me of the old military adage that tracers "work both ways," in that  the announced mission of the Iranian sub's tasks is "Identifying combat vessels of the different world countries, collecting information about sea beds in international waters . . ." but going to sea also allows "the combat vessels of the different world countries" to do a little intelligence gathering on the Iranian submarine(s).

Got a ways to go on the "regional domination" thing. But, hey, they are out there. And maybe they are looking for places to lay mines. Or whatever.

See The Arkenstone's take on the deployment.

Iranian Ships to Enter Mediterranean

Iranian Navy Ship Kharg (AOR-431), an oiler/ammuntion ship

For the first time since 1979, it appears that a couple of Iranian Navy ships will enter the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal (see here where it is reported they entered the Suez Canal on 22 Feb):

Two Iranian naval ships have entered Egypt's Suez Canal and are heading towards the Mediterranean, a canal official said.

"They entered the canal at 5:45am," the official told Reuters news agency on Tuesday.

The two vessels, Alvand, a patrol frigate and Kharg, a supply ship, are the first naval vessels to go through the canal since Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, after which diplomatic ties between Egypt and Iran were strained.

Egypt's ruling military council, facing its first diplomatic challenge since taking power on February 11, approved the vessels' passage through the canal.

The canal is a vital global trading route and a major source of revenue for the Egyptian authorities.

Israel takes a "grave view" of the passage of the ships.

On Sunday, after a weekly meeting of his cabinet, Binyamin Netanyahu , Israeli prime minister denounced the ships' arrival in the region as an Iranian power play.

And last week, the prospect of the Suez crossing was described by Avigdor Lieberman, Israel's far-right foreign minister, as a "provocation" by Iran.

But an Iranian diplomat said that, "This will be a routine visit, within international law, in line with the co-operation between Iran and Syria, who have strategic ties.

"The ships will spend a few days in Syrian ports for training purposes, having already visited several countries including Oman and Saudi Arabia," the diplomat added.

Alvand, a Iranian frigate,

The prospect of these ships making it through the canal and heading for their announced destination of Syria has many people at increasing flail levels, especially the Israelis.

The ships themselves are a small frigate and INS Kharg a fleet oiler/ammuntion ship that has served as the flag ship of the Iranian Navy (see USNI Guide to Combat Fleets of the World by Eric Wertheim here).

The ships themselves pose little threat to anyone, unless, in a repeat of a famous incident in the Canal's past, they drop mines along the way, as Libya is suspected of doing in 1984. That incident, which damaged 18 or so ships was denounced at the time by Iran's Ayatollah Khomeni, though praised at lower levels in Iran (see here). Given that record and the scrutiny that will be given these ships, a mining mission seems unlikely.

No, the concern is that these vessels, both "warships," may be carrying some cargo dangerous to Israel to Israel's enemies in Syria. Presumably, the oiler, being larger may be carrying a large amount of something that would improve the military position of anti-Israel forces. Perhaps a batch of rockets? New warheads of some sort?

Unlike merchant ships, it is unlikely that the threat of force would allow these ships to be searched. Further, in this particular chess game, it seems as likely as not that there is nothing on these ships.Does it matter? The Iranian goal is to set a precedent - to allow for the free movement of its naval vessels on the high seas to a sovereign nation that is not under blockade. That sovereign nation being, of course, Syria.

There is that the magic word "blockade."

As you may recall, Israel has indicted ships attempting to carry supplies into Gaza. As noted in an earlier post (), this seems to be a legal blockade of Gaza. There is an interesting piece by a Israeli legal scholar Ruth Lapidoth, The Legal Basis of Israel's Naval Blockade of Gaza, which lays out the argument that the blockade of Gaza is perfectly legal under international law.The piece cites the San Remo Manual as setting out the appropriate rules for parties to an armed conflict:

SECTION II : METHODS OF WARFARE
Blockade
93. A blockade shall be declared and notified to all belligerents and neutral States. 94. The declaration shall specify the commencement, duration, location, and extent of the blockade and the period within which vessels of neutral States may leave the blockaded coastline.
95. A blockade must be effective. The question whether a blockade is effective is a question of fact.
96. The force maintaining the blockade may be stationed at a distance determined by military requirements. 97. A blockade may be enforced and maintained by a combination of legitimate methods and means of warfare provided this combination does not result in acts inconsistent with the rules set out in this document. 98. Merchant vessels believed on reasonable grounds to be breaching a blockade may be captured. Merchant vessels which, after prior warning, clearly resist capture may be attacked. 99. A blockade must not bar access to the ports and coasts of neutral States. 100. A blockade must be applied impartially to the vessels of all States. 101. The cessation, temporary lifting, re-establishment, extension or other alteration of a blockade must be declared and notified as in paragraphs 93 and 94. 102. The declaration or establishment of a blockade is prohibited if: (a) it has the sole purpose of starving the civilian population or denying it other objects essential for its survival; or(b) the damage to the civilian population is, or may be expected to be, excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated from the blockade. 103. If the civilian population of the blockaded territory is inadequately provided with food and other objects essential for its survival, the blockading party must provide for free passage of such foodstuffs and other essential supplies, subject to: (a) the right to prescribe the technical arrangements, including search, under which such passage is permitted; and(b) the condition that the distribution of such supplies shall be made under the local supervision of a Protecting Power or a humanitarian organization which offers guarantees of impartiality, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross. 104. The blockading belligerent shall allow the passage of medical supplies for the civilian population or for the wounded and sick members of armed forces, subject to the right to prescribe technical arrangements, including search, under which such passage is permitted.

A possible route from the north end of the Suez Canal to Syria

Professor Lapidoth finds that these rules applied to a blockade of Gaza.

Syria, on the other hand, may be a different kettle of fish. As the Professor notes in her piece, the definition of "armed conflict" that justifies a blockade does not require a formal declaration of war in these times. Certainly, Israel and Syria have not been peaceful neighbors but the imposition of a blockade on Syrian ports is, without a doubt, an act of war that may bring consequences that Israel and the rest of the world mat not be willing to pay at this time.

So, I expect that a war of words will continue and these ships will be allowed their "peaceful" transit in the Mediterranean this time. You may count on them being closely watched by every one with a stake  in this iteration of Iran's war with Israel.

Somali Pirates: Starting the Week with a Bang

As of Sunday, reports of Pirate Action Groups and attacks from here put on a map:

In case you missed it, the Indian Navy and Coast Guard sank a pirate mother ship and rescued some hostages as well as arresting several pirates. See here and here (reporting a 12 hour "battle" between the pirates and the Indian forces).

India has now announced a "zero tolerance" for pirates "messing" in Indian waters, see here:

The Navy's sinking of a pirate 'mother vessel' off the Lakshadweep Islands will send a "strong message" to the sea brigands that India will not tolerate their nefarious designs anywhere near its waters, Navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma told TOI on Sunday.

"There is no question of anybody messing in our waters or area... it's absolutely unacceptable to us," Admiral Verma said.

This comes after naval fast attack craft INS Cankarso sank Prantalay, a hijacked Thai trawler being used as a mother vessel by Somali pirates to carry out attacks for the last nine months, after a hot chase on Friday night. In the well-executed operation, the Navy apprehended 15 pirates as well as rescued 20 Thai and Myanmar nationals who had been taken hostage on board Prantalay. "The pirates are being interrogated... they are being brought to Mumbai for legal proceedings," Admiral Verma said.

In the meantime, an attack off the coast of Iran is the northernmost reported attack by Somali pirates to date (see here). New reports are that an Iranian frigate helped break up the attack. See Vesseltracker.com report:

Star of Abu Dhabi from Shipspotting.com by Dragec (used iaw terms of Shipspotting.com)

Star Of Abu Dhabi was attacked 30-JAN-11 .....19.6nm SW of Chabahar Port, Iran . . . by a PAG consisting of 2 skiffs with 3 pirates in each . . . The PAG broke off their attack when an Iranian Warship arrived in the area. The vessel was enroute . . . to Port Khomeini in Iran.

SAS Mendi

It appears that the South African Navy may soon deploy one of its new ships to assist in fighting East African piracy -see here:

. . . [O]ne of the navy's new frigates, the SAS Mendi, headed for Durban a week ago in anticipation of the signing of an agreement aimed at protecting Mozambique against piracy.

UPDATE: The South Koreans did a perp walk with the 5 Somali pirates captured by ROK forces when they retook the Samho Jewelry (see here and here):

RMN photo

Malaysia, too, has its captured 7 pirates (see here for post on their capture) in custody as reported by the "BBC" in its article titled (and scare quoted) as Seven Somali 'pirates' held in custody by Malaysia:

Seven Somali men accused of being pirates have arrived in Malaysia where they could face prosecution.

AFP Photo

They were captured by the Malaysian navy 10 days ago as they allegedly tried to hijack a tanker in the Gulf of Aden.
Legal experts in Malaysia are now studying whether they can be charged.

Iran: New, Iranian-made "destroyer"

Iran is in the warship building business, as reported in Iran navy launches domestically made destroyer:

Iran's Navy on Friday took the delivery of the first indigenously designed and developed guided missile destroyer Jamaran in the presence of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

The Mowdge Class vessel has a displacement of around 1,420 tonnes and is equipped with modern radars and electronic warfare capabilities.

Jamaran, a multi-mission destroyer, can carry 120-140 personnel on board and is armed with a variety of anti-ship and surface-to-air missiles.

It has a top speed of up to 30 knots and has a helipad. It also features highly advanced anti-aircraft, anti-surface and anti-subsurface systems.

The vessel has also been equipped with torpedoes and modern naval cannons. The destroyer's launch marks a major technological leap for Iran's naval industries.

More ships in its class are under construction.

UPDATE: An older video of the ship under construction:




From Wikipedia some vitals:

Class and type: Jamaran class
Type: multi-mission destroyer/Guided missile destroyer
Displacement: 1,400 tonnes
Length: 94-meter (308-foot)
Beam: Unknown
Draught: Unknown
Speed: 30 knots
Complement: 120-140
Armament: surface-to-air guided missiles, torpedoes, modern naval cannons[3]
Aviation facilities: helipad

With a hat tip to New Wars, a video:

Somali Pirates: Iran says pirate attack thwarted

Reported as Iran ships foil hijack attempt in Gulf of Aden:

Amid Iran's efforts to cooperate with the international community in protecting the notorious Gulf of Aden from pirate attacks, an official says Iranian warships open fire on pirate boats and thwart an attempted hijack of three trade vessels.

"After the boats ignored warnings, the pirates were sent fleeing by our shooting and they left the area," state radio quoted commander of Iran's first Naval zone, Fariborz Qaderpanah, as saying Saturday.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy has stationed a flotilla of warships into the Gulf of Aden, off Somalia, to provide security for commercial ships and oil tankers.

Iran to send two warships to Somalia to fight pirates

Now that pirate season is winding down with the monsoon season arriving, Iran is sending a couple of warships to the area for "five months" as set out here:

According to IRNA reporter at UN Headquarters in New York, Khaza'ie in his letter added that the Iranian Navy ships would take position at operation region within the next two days and remain there for a period of at least five months.

The Iranian warships would in addition to safeguarding the Iranians ships and ships that are in a way related to Iran assist any other foreign ship that would seek assistance against the pirates, and help Somalia government in its combat against piracy.

I guess better late than never.

UPDATE: I suppose it's humorous that this site identifies the ships is the neaby photo as being "Iranian navy in Persian Gulf (photo IRNA)". Oddly enough, Wikipedia has the same picture and provides the following identification:

040625-N-0780F-070 Souda Bay, Crete, Greece (June 25, 2004) - The guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71), top, cruises into Souda Harbor for a brief port visit as the guided-missile destroyer USS Ramage (DDG-61) departs following a brief stay in the eastern Mediterranean port. Both Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are assigned to Destroyer Squadron Two Eight (DESRON 28) and homeported in Norfolk, Va. Both ships are currently in the Mediterranean Sea conducting a regularly scheduled deployment. U.S. Navy photo by Paul Farley (RELEASED)

The upper photo shows an actual Iranian ship.

UPDATE: An Iranian "frigate" or "corvette" -

Iran: Iranian Navy goes "international"

Iran has announced its "international navy" here:

Iran has deployed naval ships to the high seas as part of a full-fledged campaign initiated by the highest level of government.

Iranian Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari on Friday indicated that Tehran had overcome the self-imposed barrier of warship deployment in its own territorial waters to establish a powerful naval presence in international waters.

"We have a right to have a naval presence in international waters. Our initiative will work to protect the national interests of the Islamic Republic and will hoist the Iranian flag with pride," explained the navy commander.

Ordered by Leader of the Islamic Revolution and Iran's Commander-in-Chief Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the newly-launched initiative will ensure that Iranian warships remain stationed in a large area of the Indian Ocean.

Iran in late 2008 opened a naval base in the eastern part of the strategic Hormuz waterway. Military officials then described the base as a protective barrier against enemy infiltration at the main entrance to Iranian waters.

Dubbed as a "defense front", the Jask base was said to be part of plans to make the area "impenetrable" for a non-regional enemy.

Rear Adm. Sayyari said Friday that the Jask naval base plays a major role in the new push into high seas.

"With this presence, we seek to convey the message of peace and friendship of the Iranian nation to the entire world, to help instruction and to pass on our experiences to our young generation," he continued.

According to the official, Iran is working on further strengthening its presence in international waters by improving its naval infrastructure and adding new destroyers to its fleet.

An Iranian warship has already ended a one-month mission in the Indian Ocean as part of the initiative.

On the map above, the arrow points to the Jask area, and the circles indicate other Iranian naval base locations. Google Earth image arrows point to locations of potential interest, as discussed below.

Iran announced the opening of its Jask base in October:

Describing the port of Jask as the main entrance to Iranian waters, Brig. Gen. Moussavi said the new naval base would act as a protective barrier against enemy infiltration.

The Iranian commander added that the country's Armed Forces have set up an 'impenetrable naval barrier' in the eastern parts of the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman.

Moussavi also stressed the need for the expansion of Iran's military bases, arguing that, "In the past, our military had to brace itself for countering regional enemies. This is while today we are faced with extra-regional threats."

An assessment of Jask's role here:

Jason Alderwick, a naval expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said Jask would offer some important advantages.

"It is in a better position strategically than Bandar Abbas," Alderwick said. "It has access to the Arabian sea, so there is deep water access straight away. It has a commanding position vis-à-vis access to the straights, being forward, to the east for them. The real question is what forces are going to be based there? At this stage it's unclear what the Iranians are going to station there, for example, if they want to re-site their submarines there. That would be significant."

Lee Willett, the head of maritime studies at the Royal United Services Institute, said the mere announcement of a new base could be an end in itself. "The cynic would say that any time Iranians say something about the Gulf the oil prices go up, and they are oil exporters, so they are going to make some money," Willett said.

Upper photo is from the Jask base opening ceremony with "frigate" P224 from here. P224 is a Sina-class missile boat, a reverse engineered French design equipped with Chinese missile (C-801) and radar:

The Sina "frigate" at 350 tons is not a frigate in the commonly used meaning of that word. The "Sina-1" is in service; it is a near duplication of the old La Combattante II's Iran operates; but from the outset with Chinese C-802 missiles, Chinese diesels, and less elaborate EW systems.

Google Earth images of Jask reveal - well- not much. First a view from 50,000 feet, arrows point to places of interest. Image with "A" shows a breakwater with small craft moored along it and at anchor. Image "B" shows airfield with one runway and arrow points to helicopter pad. Image "C" is of some interest as it appears to be a newer breakwater protected port. Image "D" is a facility on a river with lots of small craft about.

Below are some images of Iranian naval vessels including a C-802 launch.