Somali Pirates: British Force Takes Down Pirate "Mothership"

HMS Somerset's Merlin helicopter fires warning shots across the bow of the pirate dhow [Picture: Leading Airman (Photographer) Dave Jenkins, Crown Copyright/MOD 2011]

Reported as British Commandos free 20 crew held hostage on pirate "mothership"in the Indian ocean:

Royal Marine Commandos staged a daring raid freeing 20 sailors held hostage on a pirate 'mothership' afloat in the Indian Ocean, it was revealed today.

Backed by gunfire from a Merlin helicopter, a boarding team stormed the cargo vessel, which had been hijacked by pirates to use as a base to attack merchant shipping in the area.

'Through my weapon sight I could see dark figures moving in the shadows on the bridge,' said Captain Rod Yapp, who led the assault.'We quickly boarded and secured the dhow, then mustered the 24 occupants on her bow.'

UK MOD report, with more pictures, here:

It is believed the dhow was hijacked by suspected pirates so that they could use it as a base, or mother ship, from which to launch attacks against merchant ships many hundreds of miles from Somalia. Throughout this time, the Pakistani crew of the dhow were held hostage onboard.

On Friday 14 October, some 200 miles (320km) off the coast, HMS Somerset and RFA Fort Victoria closed in on the dhow.

HMS Somerset's Commanding Officer, Commander 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."
***
In the run up to being boarded, the suspected pirates were observed by Somerset's Merlin helicopter ditching equipment and weapons overboard as well as setting one of their skiffs adrift. Despite their desperate attempts to cover their tracks, a large cache of boarding ladders, weapons, a second attack skiff, and equipment from a previously pirated ship were found onboard.

Captain Yapp said:

"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-propelled grenade] 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."

Somali Pirates: Late May Activity

MV Orna

Somali pirates have been somewhat inactive due to sea conditions. See NATO summary here:

The current situation is generally quiet throughout the AOR as the weather is not conducive for pirate operations.

The MV ORNA is underway and last located in the vicinity of 12 17N 062 43E At 302136ZMAY11. She appears to be operating as a Mothership.

A Dhow PAG is probably active in Northern Arabian sea.

In South Red Sea and in the vicinity of Bab al Mandeb Strait a Dhow PAG is probably active based on several attacks in that area.

As set out in part of this NATO Shipping Centre SOMALIA PIRACY UPDATE 31st MAY 2011, much of the activity that has occurred has involved the movement of a suspected pirate mothership, the captured ship MV Orna:

MAY 31,2011
Latitude: 12 58N Longitude: 062 58E
Alert Number 191 / 2011
--- UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE ---
At 1316 UTC / 31 MAY / a previously hijacked ship MV ORNA was reported in position 12 58N 062 58E course 282 / 6.2 kts.
It is likely that this vessel is conduction mothership operations.
___________________________________________
MAY 31, 2011
LATITUDE 13 32N LONGITUDE 042 41E
Alert number 193 / 2011
--- UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE ---
At 0403 UTC / 31 MAY / a merchant vessel was reported under attack by 1 skiff in position 13 32 N 042 41 E.
6 POB in skiff, weapons and ladder reported.
***This vessel managed to evade hijack***
The Pirate action group is still in the area.
________________________________________________
MAY 29,2011
Latitude: 14 44N Longitude: 042 06E
Alert 192 / 2011
At 1157 UTC / 29 May a Merchant Vessel was attacked by two skiffs with six persons on board at position 14 44N 042 06E. Small arms have been fired.
*** vessel managed to evade hijack ***
_______________________________________
MAY 29,2011
Alert Number 191 / 2011
--- UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE ---
At 2252 UTC / 28 May / Hijacked vessel MV ORNA was reported in position 09 32N 058 07E. Course 076 / 8.2 kts
It is likely the ship is being used as a pirate mothership
______________________________________
MAY 28, 2011
Alert Number 191 / 2011
---UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE---
At 0150UTC / 28 MAY / a previously hijacked ship MV ORNA was reported in position 07 57N 055 16E Course 068 / 7.5 kts
It is likely that this ship is being used as a pirate mother ship.
________________________________________
MAY 27, 2011
Latitude 07 09N Latitude 053 20E
Alert Number 191 / 2011
---UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE---
At 0830 UTC / 27 MAY / a previously hijacked ship was reported in position 07 09N 053 20E Coure 078 / 7.5 kts
It is likely that this ship is being used as a pirate mother ship.
________________________________________
MAY 26, 2011
Latitude 06 09N, Longitude 050 33E
Alert Number 191 / 2011
---ALERT ALERT ALERT---
At 0908 UTC / 26 MAY / a previously hijacked ship MV ORNA was reported in position 06 09N 050 33E Course 072 / 7kts
It is likely now that ship is being used as a pirate mother vessel.

The "Orna Track":

Track of MV Orna (click to enlarge)

Somali Pirates: Madagascar Navy Rescues Pirated Vessal

Following up on a previous post, it's good to note that Madagascar's navy has pulled to shore a Somali pirate "mother ship" along with some hungry pirates, terrorized and abused hostages and crew, as reported in Madagascar navy rescues pirate-seized vessel:

Madagascar's navy Sunday towed into Antsiranana port a hijacked Comoros-flagged vessel almost a week after its captain and two suspected pirates arrived on the island to seek help, an official said.

The MV Zoulfikar was captured by Somali pirates in November while on its way to Tanzania from the Comoros. It had 29 people on board -- 20 passengers and nine crew.

On Monday, six people arrived on a small boat at Madagascar's northern Antsiranana port to seek help. Among them were the MV Zoulfikar's captain and two Somalis suspected to be pirates.

All the six were detained for investigation.

"It was a rescue operation. There were no clashes. The suspected pirates were not armed and they gave themselves up immediately," Rolland Rasolofonirina, the coordinator of Madagascar's anti-piracy efforts told AFP.

"There were 37 people on board, 12 of whom are suspected pirates. The 25 passengers are from Madagascar, Tanzania and the Comoros and three of them are women," Rasolofonirina said.

The three women, weakened by their four months in the hands of the pirates, were given medical treatment as soon as they were transferred to the Madagascar rescue boat.

All of those aboard are being detained by the authorities in Antsiranana's military port.

"We are in the process of deciding on the procedure to be followed ... so that prosecutions can take place," Rasolofonirina said.

Lots of witnesses. Should make for a short trial and long sentences.

Somali Pirates: NATO Commander Admits Pirates Ahead of NATO

2011 Pirate Attacks in Indian Ocean (from IMB)

Well, one NATO commander sees the problem with a Somali pirate force that is inside NATO's OODA loop, as reported at Smarter Somali pirates thwarting navies, NATO admits :

Somali pirates' use of "mother ships" to attack their prey is complicating foreign navies' efforts to improve safety in the Indian Ocean, a senior anti-piracy commander said Friday.

Somalia's expanding army of pirates are increasingly launching their attacks from large, already hijacked vessels that offer greater physical protection during boarding and whose kidnapped crews act as human shields.

Speaking to reporters in the Kenyan port of Mombasa where his NATO flagship was docked, Commodore Michiel Hijmans said few pirates were still using their rudimentary skiffs to board vessels.

One form of "Mother Ship"

"Pirates have gone high tech and few use speed boats. They have switched to usage of mother ships," said Hijmans, who currently commands NATO's Ocean Shield anti-piracy mission.

"We cannot attack mother ships without proper planning since most of them have hostages on board," said the Dutch navy commander.

Hijmans also explained that pirates operating on large hijacked vessels were able to extend their area of operation when on the prowl and were no longer confined to their coastal hideouts during monsoon seasons.

"The pirates can operate in the sea for long as they load the mother ships with enough food, fuel and militant weapons ready for a hijacking spree," he said.

"Pirates are getting smarter every hour... Pirates do not give up unless they cannot board or are threatened. I'm afraid that the war on piracy might not be won until there is a stable government in Somalia," he said.

Hijmans said Somali pirates were currently holding 28 ships and 654 crew members.

I have called the use of these mother ships the "Somali Pirate Navy."

See here, here, and here for more on the "mother ship" problem. See also the NATO Shipping Centre site here.

In light of the use of larger mother ships, my earlier thoughts on blockading Somali pirate ports as a method of containing their activities is under review.

The other options that I currently see place innocent shipping crews at some risk.

Somali Pirate Mother Ships

OK, you are the Somali pirate "admiral" - where will you place your pirated mother ship "navy" to be in a position to interdict major sea lanes and thereby maximize the potential for success in pirating shipping? Well, for the Indian Ocean, you might place your ships like this:

A couple of recently pirated vessels have joined the Somali pirate "mother ship" ranks according to the NATO Shipping Centre:

Jin Chun Tsai 68 - 15°32N 059°19E is assessed as being used by pirates for piracy operations. 0447UTC 04JAN11

Vega 5 - 11°36S 042°07E is assessed as being used by pirates for piracy operations. 1438UTC 01JAN11

York - 03°30N 054°44E course 270 speed 6.5kts as of 1140UTC 04JAN11 is assessed as being used by pirates for piracy operations. (red line on map indicates projected course)

Hannibal II - 10°29N 053°05E 1211UTC 03JAN11 is assessed as being used by pirates for piracy operations.

Shiuh Fu No.1 - 13°05S 056°33E 1045UTC 30DEC10 possibly heading back to the anchorage off Somalia. No current update

Now, if you were a "NATO/EU/CTF 151/Other Anti-Pirate" force admiral, where would you place a few ships to counter the pirates?

UPDATE: (includes the bolded questions above)

From the U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence Piracy Analysis and Warning Weekly (Horn of Africa) report for week of 16 Dec 29 Dec 2010:

Somali Pirates: Hijacked Ship "Asian Glory" Underway Again

A report that the Somali pirate hijacked car carrier Asian Glory is underway again:

The abducted British-flagged ship Asian Glory has ventured into the open ocean, heading south of the Somali coast, Bulgarian media reported. The cargo ship, whose crew includes eight Bulgarian sailors along with 10 Ukrainians, five Indians and two Romanians, was moored neared the coast until February 17, reports said.

Last time underway she was reportedly used as a "mother ship" for pirate boats as set out here.


Ship photo by Ron van de Velde from Shipspotting.com and used as allowed by the terms of that site.

Somali Pirates: Pirates Hijack Indian Dhow and Turn It into "Mothership"

It began Friday with the Somali pirate capture of a Indian dhow off the coast of Somalia in what might have been a business deal gone wrong,as reported here:

An Indian dhow, with 16 Indians on board, was reportedly hijacked by Somali pirates while on its way from the port city of Bosasso to Dubai late on Friday.

Officials from the Indian Directorate-General of Shipping (DGS) said they hadn’t received any information about such an attack. East African Seafarers’ Assistance Programme coordinator Andrew Mwangura, however, said the hijack could have been the result of a business deal going sour though he could not name the dhow. It is not clear which part of the country the 16 Indians are from.

Now comes a report of an unsuccessful attack on a VLCC oil tanker in which the dhow may have played the role of "mothership" for the pirates. Reported here:

In a further development a mothership used in the attack on the 264,800-dwt A Elephant (built 1987) was itself hijacked in the region at the weekend, an informed source told TradeWinds.

The Liberia-flagged tanker has suffered some damage but there were no casualties amongst the crew during the assault at around 06:00 local time on Monday in the eastern part of the Gulf of Aden.

"One mothership and two skiffs approached the vessel several times and opened fire," a statement from the UK-based Maritime Security Centre (Horn of Africa) [MSCHOA] read.

"The ship’s crew successfully avoided being boarded. A helicopter of the EU NAVFOR warship Aconit arrived on scene quickly, following the early distress call."

MSCHOA report:

13/07/2009 09.13 GMT

A 265.000-ton tanker, flying the flag of Liberia, was attacked this morning by probable Somali pirates in the Eastern part of the Gulf of Aden in position 12 23N 043 42E.

One mothership and two skiffs approached the vessel several times and opened fire. The ship’s crew successfully avoided being boarded. A helicopter of the EU NAVFOR warship ACONIT quickly arrived on scene, following the early distress call.

There were no casualties and only light damage to the vessel, which was registered with the Maritime Security Centre, Horn of Africa.

Aconit is a French frigate (see here).


Ship photo of A Elephant by Christian Bråthen from Shipspotting.com and used in accord with terms of that site.

UPDATE: Winds for the area of the attack (from here). Note that red arrow points attack area where winds are at or below those historically favored by pirates in small open boats.