Somali Pirates: Dutch Go Drone

HMNLS Rotterdam

Dutch Navy increases its search capacity by throwing a UAV into the mix, as reported here:

The Dutch navy is using a new unmanned aircraft to search for pirates in the Gulf of Aden, the Telegraaf reports on Friday.

The ScanEagle was flown for the first time from the deck of naval ship the Rotterdam on Wednesday and made a nine hour flight, says the paper.

ScanEagle operations from a couple of years ago - from a U.S. Navy ship:


One of the unmanned tools that make launch platform more flexible (and less role specific) and their technology current - or, as Admiral Greenert recently put in a U.S. Naval Institute piece, Payloads over Platforms: Charting a New Course:

To ensure our Navy stays relevant, these platforms have to adapt to the changing fiscal, security, and technological conditions they will encounter over their long service lives. It is unaffordable, however, to adapt a platform by replacing either it or its integral systems each time a new mission or need arises. We will instead need to change the modular weapon, sensor, and unmanned vehicle “payloads” a platform carries or employs. In addition to being more affordable, this decoupling of payload development from platform development will take advantage of a set of emerging trends in precision weapons, stealth, ship and aircraft construction, economics, and warfare . . .
***
We also are in the early stages of incorporating unmanned payloads on our manned ships to further expand their reach on, above, and below the sea. Starting in 2005, we began equipping amphibious ships (LPDs, LSDs, and LHAs) and destroyers with the Scan Eagle UAV under a services contract for maritime and littoral intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). Operating for up to 15 hours at a nominal range of 50 nautical miles from its host platform, Scan Eagle provides critical and unobtrusive day and night imagery in support of counterterrorism, counterpiracy, surface warfare, and irregular warfare missions—as well as helping to uncover other illicit activities at sea.

This was part of the discussion of a recent Midrats episode with Norman Friedman.

A greater operation range - one extended by the use of such a drone as is being employed by the Dutch- means fewer ships are needed to patrol the same area and allows for optimization of ship usage.

Somali Pirates: Hijacked Fishing Boat Crew Casts Off Pirates, Heads for Freedom

A little anti-pirate self-help reported as Crew recapture Taiwan ship from Somali pirates:

The crew of a Taiwanese fishing vessel fought against armed Somali pirates to retake their ship after it was hijacked off East Africa, Taiwan authorities said Sunday.

The 290-tonne Chin Yi Wen with a crew of 28, including nine Chinese, eight Filipinos, six Indonesians and five Vietnamese, had been out of contact since Friday, the foreign ministry said.

But the crew managed to overwhelm the six armed pirates and retake control of their ship.

"In my memory, this is the first time sailors of a fishing vessel hijacked by Somali pirates have freed themselves on their own," Tsay Tzu-yaw, spokesman for Taiwan's Fisheries Agency, told AFP.

The Somali pirates fell into the sea,* Tsay said, quoting the fishing boat owner, adding that details of the saga and the fate of the six pirates were not immediately clear.

"Fell into the sea."

Right.






*emphasis added by me

Gulf of Guinea Pirates: Ghana Buys Chinese Counter-Pirate Vessels

Ghana Orders Two 46 m Patrol Vessels from China’s Poly Technologies Incorporated:

Ghana has ordered two 46 metre patrol vessels from China’s Poly Technologies Incorporated as part of a larger drive to modernise its navy. The vessels will be used to combat piracy and increase maritime security off Ghana’s coast once they are delivered before yearend.

According to Ghana’s defence minister Lieutenant General Joseph Henry Smith, the vessels form part of the drive to modernise Ghana’s navy as it is not able to defend the country’s exclusive economic zone.
***
“We have constantly been reviewing our measures to safeguard our waters, most importantly to protect our oil installations,” Smith told Reuters last month. “We are aware of the increasing piracy attacks in our neighbourhood and we are very much prepared to face any such attacks.”

So, unlike the failed state of Somalia, Ghana takes steps to protect its waters including counter-piracy and fisheries protection.

Good for Ghana.

Somali Pirates: Chemical Ship Defended by Armed Security Guards

Reported at IMB's Live Piracy Report

Gulf of Aden
Type of Attack :Attempted
Narrations: 29.08.2011: 0655 UTC: Posn: 12:30.25N – 043:52.37E, Gulf of Aden.
Five pirates armed with guns in two skiffs approached a chemical tanker underway. Master raised alarm, gave one long blast and crew mustered at a safe place. When the skiffs came close to 15 metres from the tanker, the onboard security team fired warning shots resulting in the pirates aborting the attack.

Somali Pirates at work: Early March Madness

From NATO Shipping Center, a list of early March attacks here::

March 04, 2011
Latitude: 1823N 06341E
Alert Number 109 / 2011
At 1020 UTC / 04 MAR / a merchant vessel is currently under attack by 1 skiff and 1 mothership in position 18 23N 063 41E
The vessel was fired upon by small arms and RPG.
---------------------------------------------------
March 04, 2011
Latitude: 1835N 06347E
Alert number 108 / 2011
At 0922 UTC / 04 Mar / a merchant vessel is currently under attack by 1 skiff in position 1835N 06347E

March 03, 2011
Latitude: 09 59N Longitude: 062 26E
---------------------------------------------------
Alert number 107 / 2011
At 1122 UTC / 03 MAR / a merchant vessel was reported under attack by 2 skiffs in position 09 59 N 062 26 E.
Vessel was fired upon by RPGs and small arms.
***This vessel managed to evade hijack*** The Pirate action group is still in the area.
_____________________________________________
March 03, 2011
Latitude: 1523N Longitude: 05204E
Alert number 106 / 2011
At 0840 UTC a merchant vessel was reported under attack by 2 skiffs in position 15 23 N 052 04 E.
4 POB each skiff. MV was fired upon by small arms.
***This vessel managed to evade hijack***
The Pirate action group is still in the area.
__________________________________________
March 03, 2011
Latitude: 1731N Longitude: 05732E
Alert number 105 / 2011
At 0615 UTC a Pirate Action Group consisting of 1 Dhow, white and black hull and 1 grey speed boat was reported at position 1731N 057 32E. Weapons were sighted.
___________________________________________
March 02, 2011
Latitude: 12 11N Longitude: 063 58E
Alert 104 / 2011
At 0752 UTC a motor yacht was reported under attack by pirate action group in position 1211N 063 58E
*** this vessel managed to evade highjack ***
The Pirate Action Group is still in the area
_____________________________________________

March 01, 2011
Latitude: 02°24S Longitude: 046°07E
Alert number 102 / 2011.
At 1100 UTC / 01 MAR / a fishing vessel was reported under attack by 8 pirates/2 skiffs in position 02 24 S 046 07 E
Skiffs were reported to have blue and white hull. Small arms and RPG were sighted.

***This vessel managed to evade hijack*** The Pirate action group is still in the area.

The March 2 yacht attack may correlate to the events described at gCaptain:

Private security firm Naval Guards Ltd successfully rescued their Dutch clients on board M/Y Capricorn after it had been overrun by pirates in the central Arabian Sea yesterday. The crew of the 21-meter M/Y Capricorn had contracted Naval Guards Ltd to provide armed escort for their eastbound trip from Djibouti in the western Gulf of Aden, through the Arabian Sea.

***

After a fierce exchange of gunfire between the pirates and the escort vessel, there were no injuries reported on either side, and only minor damage to the vessels themselves. With a clear firepower advantage however, the Naval Guards quickly gained control of the situation and the pirates gave up.

"The pirates are becoming more aggressive”, Jakobssen explained. ”Our team was on board a grey ship with military markings in very close proximity to the Capricorn. These pirates were likely on their way home empty-handed and desperate for whatever they could get.”

UPDATE: Report of another thwarted pirate attack:

According to Lars Steen Rasmussen - the managing director of Nordana, the ship’s owner - this was the first time the company had posted guards on a ship.

“We chose to do it this time because it’s a slow-moving ship and the clearance to the waterline is relatively low,” he said.

Because the ‘Brattingsborg’ is registered in Singapore, it did not require permission from Danish authorities to carry armed guards. However, the Danish Shipowners’ Association is reportedly negotiating with the Justice Ministry for permission to carry guards on Danish-flagged ships.

“The attack failed because the guards returned fire,” said association vice-president Jan Fritz Hansen. “That goes to show how necessary it is that we get an agreement about armed guards in place in a hurry.”

The guards were taken on board as the ship passed through the Suez Canal on its way to India carrying a cargo of steel.

Somali Pirates: Security Firms Dump Weapons to Comply with Law

Glug!

There are a lot of quirks in the legal systems of the world, but some of these quirks are having an effect on armed guards plying the waters where Somali pirates operate.

The story is reported by Bradley Hope as "Firearms an odd casualty of piracy":

Thousands of guns are being dumped in the ocean by private security companies hired to protect ships against pirate attacks, top security executives say.

As Somali pirates grow bolder and launch attacks further into the Indian Ocean, shipping companies and yacht owners are increasingly using armed security to protect their vessels.

Dumpable? TheAK-47- Accurate, Tough and Cheap

But there are varying laws and regulations about taking weapons into ports across the region, leading some security companies to cut costs and save time by getting rid of their guns before arriving in various countries' territorial waters.

"This is happening on a daily basis," said Richard Skinner, the Dubai director at the security company the Orchid Group. "I suspect there are literally thousands of semi-automatic and automatic weapons down there at the bottom of the Red Sea for fish to swim around."

These practices and others have led security companies and government officials to call for increased regulation of armed teams operating on the high seas. Rogue security companies could endanger the lives of their clients and innocent fishermen by failing to follow proper rules for using force against perceived threats.

Expensive? Less than the cost of complying with the law in most cases and eliminates the risk that the ship being protected might be seized by authorities for violation of guns laws. Much less than the cost of lawyers to fight weapons charges.

Smart business practice.

Somali Pirates: Indian Navy, Coast Guard capture another pirate ship, 52 arrested

Report that the Indian Navy, Coast Guard capture another pirate ship, 52 arrested:

Arrow points to Lakshadweep Islands

In the second major anti-piracy operation off Lakshadweep in 10 days, the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard today apprehended 52 men including 28 suspected Somali pirates on board a ship after a brief gun-battle near the islands.

The forces foiled a pirate plan to attack a Greek-flagged merchant ship and apprehended Prantalay-11, the sister vessel of fishing trawler Prantalay-14 that was also being used as the mother ship by the sea brigands and was sunk by the Navy in the Arabian Sea earlier.

INS Tir

"Naval ship INS Tir and Coast Guard ship ICGS Samar intercepted the pirates' mother ship Prantalay-11 within Indian waters after a gun-battle and forced the brigands to surrender. A total of 52 men have been apprehended of which 28 are suspected to be Somali pirates," Navy spokesperson Captain M Nambiar said.

Officials said the operation had started last evening when the Navy learnt that MV Chios was being attacked by two pirate skiffs some 100 kms off the Kavaratti island.

ICGS Samar

After receiving the input, Navy's western command here directed the INS Tir and the ICGS Samar, who are already deployed in the region for anti-piracy operations, to rush to the site and apprehend the pirates and their mother ship, they said.

"After locating the skiffs, the two ships asked the pirates to surrender but they fired back at us and fled to their mother ship. After the two ships tracked the mother vessel, they were fired upon again by the pirates," they said.

"The Tir and the Samar returned fire briefly after which the pirates raised white flags to surrender," they said.

NATO Photo of Prantalay 11/14

The pirates and the crew of the Prantalay 11 have now been brought to Mumbai for interrogation by police and intelligence agencies.

UPDATE: It gets better:
‘Stupid’ pirates caught after targeting coast guard ship by mistake:

A stereotypical depiction of a pirate would be incomplete without the trademark black eyepatch.

The Somali pirates who were arrested by the Coast Guard on Sunday might well have been wearing two.

The Coast Guard nabbed 28 pirates off the Lakshadweep coast in an operation that lasted more than 14 hours.

Their task was made much easier than they expected, after the pirates they were hunting down mistook the Coast Guard vessel on anti-piracy patrol for a merchant vessel and attacked it.

The pirates, riding high-speed skiffs, started firing at the Coast Guard believing it to be a potential target, but were neutralised by a joint team of Indian Navy and Coast Guard after high drama. They are now being brought to Mumbai to be formally arrested.

Well, not "stupid" perhaps, but certainly much mistaken . ..

Somali Pirates: U.S. Navy Ships Momsen and Bunker Hill Disrupt Pirate Attack

Reported as Momsen and Bunker Hill Disrupt Pirate Attack:

USS Momsen (DDG 92) and USS Bunker Hill (CG 52) disrupted a pirate attack on Panamanian flagged merchant vessel Duqm, Feb. 2 in the Gulf of Oman.

USS Momsen

While transiting in international waters, the merchant vessel reported that pirates were attempting to board the vessel. Momsen and Bunker Hill, which were in the vicinity, immediately responded to the Duqm's distress signal and caused two pirates skiffs alongside the vessel with ladders against its hull to flee the area.

USS Bunker Hill

Momsen and Bunker Hill tracked the skiffs movement and located the mothership that facilitated the attempted boarding of Duqm, towing the two empty skiffs. Consistent with the U.N. Security Council Resolutions on piracy and U.S. rules of engagement, Momsen destroyed the two skiffs to prevent their use for future attacks.

Photo of shot on towed skiff by Chief Hull Maintenance Technician John Parkin.

UPDATE2: Another photo added above -thanks Bryan! 
UPDATE3: All photos of incident by Chief Hull Maintenance Technician John Parkin. Here's a third:

VLCC Duqm

UPDATE: More on owner of VLCC Duqm here.

Somali Pirates: Indian Navy Destroys Pirate Mother Ship, Captures Pirates

NATO photos of Prantalay

Reported as Navy destroys pirate mother ship, arrests pirates:

The Indian Navy and the Coast Guard in a joint operation on Friday, destroyed a pirate mother ship, Prantalay, off the Lakshadweep group of islands and arrested 15 pirates.

They also rescued 20 fishermen of Thailand and Myanmarese nationalities who were being held hostage by the pirates after Prantalay was hijacked by them on April 18 last year. Since its hijack, the vessel was being extensively used by the pirates to launch attacks on merchant vessels passing along the shipping lanes off the island chain.

Arrow identifies Lakshapweep Islands

“The vessel has been a risk to international shipping for many months and has carried out several attacks,” said the Navy in a media release.

See earlier report on the Indian Coast Guard stopping an attack from this mother ship here.

Good on India.

UPDATE: (30 Jan 11) More here including more details and identification of the Indian Navy ships involved, INS Cankarso, INS Kalpeni, and Indian Coast Guard CGS Sankalp:

There was an exchange of fire between INS Cankarso and the pirate vessel, following which fire was noticed in 'Prantalay' and some personnel were seen jumping into the waters.

Twenty Thai and Myanmarese fishermen, the original crew of the vessel, who had been held hostage by the pirates held hostage for over 8 months and 15 pirates, were pulled out from the waters by INS Cankarso. INS Kalpeni, CGS Sankalp, Naval and Coast Guard ships and aircraft are presently in the area searching for any fishermen or pirates, the release said.

Somali Pirates: Kenya Set Up Anti-Pirate Security Zone

Reported here:

Maritime authorities have created a security corridor for ships entering the Port of Mombasa to counter piracy attacks on Kenya’s territorial waters.

Vessels will be required to wait at the four identified co-ordinates, which according to the Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) is a corridor of 10 by 20 nautical miles from the Port of Mombasa.

“The area is a security zone within which patrols by the Kenyan Navy have been enhanced to provide security for vessels waiting berthing at the port,” KMA director Ms Nancy Karigithu said.

Fishing boats, skiffs and leisure boats will be required to keep off the corridor, which will help identify any pirate skiff that approaches the corridor.

While not an ideal solution, at least it suggests that Kenya is going proactive in its defenses against Somali pirates who are increasingly intruding into Kenyan waters.

Somali Pirates: Using big "mother ship" to attack Spanish warship escorting food vessel

SPS Infanta Cristina

(Hat tip to D.E. Reddick) As the headline in the telegraph.co.uk website reads: "Pirates open fire on Spanish warship escorting food aid":

Pirates on-board a Japanese cargo ship they had hijacked in October opened fire with small arms against the Spanish frigate as it accompanied an aid ship destined for Somalia's capital, Mogadishu.

The Infanta Christina fired back after speeding up into a protective position between the pirates and the aid ship. The pirates then fled the attack, early on Sunday morning.

MV Izumi hijacked 10 October

"As the attack was carried out by a pirated merchant vessel with hostages on-board, the Infanta Christina had to defend herself and her escort with only minimal force in order not to endanger the lives of the hostages," the EU force said in a statement.

The Spanish warship was alongside the MV Petra 1, contracted by the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia to deliver food to Mogadishu.

Or, as the EU MSC(HOA) site reports:

During the night of November 6, the EU NAVFOR warship SPS INFANTA CRISTINA was attacked off the East coast of Somalia by a vessel identified as the MV IZUMI, a ship that had itself been pirated on 10 October.

MV Petra 1 during a previous escorted food delivery mission

The EU NAVFOR warship had been escorting the MV PETRA 1, which had been chartered by the African Union Military Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), at the time. This is the first ever attack on an EU warship conducting an AMISOM escort.

During the incident, the Spanish warship increased speed and maneouvred immediately in order to place herself between MV IZUMI and her escort. The attack was disrupted and the pirates fled the scene. Thanks to the quick reactions and efficiency of the Spanish crew, the attack was quickly foiled without injury or damage.

As the attack was carried out by a pirated merchant vessel with hostages onboard, the SPS INFANTA CRISTINA had to defend herself and her escort with only minimal force in order not to endanger the lives of the hostages. After the attack, the warship and her escort continued toward Mombasa, Kenya, without further incident.

Well, this is sort of the worst case situation that we've all been waiting for as the Somali pirates begin using captured merchant sailors as "human shields" as the pirates attack other vessels.

I think this is a dangerous turn of events, and I don't think it will end well.

UPDATE: Was this a terrorist-inspired attack on a warship? A Spanish newspaper reports it as a likely "mistaken identity" shoot out here caused by the dark and the "fog of piracy."

The pirates opened fire first against the Petra I. The Infanta Cristina (pictured) immediately accelerated and maneuvered to stand in front and protect the craft and then was also attacked by Kaslahnikov waving pirates, who, probably because it was the middle of the night, did not realise at first they were attaching a military ship of the European Anti-Piracy Operation. The Spanish soldiers responded first with warning shots, and then were forced to open fire with machine guns on the ship that was attacking them, according to sources with the Ministry of Defence.

The crew of the Infanta Cristina realised that the ship they were attacking was a hijacked merchant ship. Afraid that there were hostages on board, they ceased fire and broadcast to the pirates that they were firing on a European warship. The pirates then fled and the Infanta Cristina decided not to pursue them in order not to endanger the lives of the two dozen hostages aboard.

Report of MV Izumi hijacking here. And a reminder of the warning that the Izumi could be headed on a piracy mission here.

Somali Pirates Fighting Warships?

An unconfirmed report: Somali pirates, warship clash kills one, injuries 3 in Mudug region

Confrontation between well armored Somali pirates and foreign warships broke out around the coast of Hobyo district, a stronghold of the pirates in Mudug region of north Somalia according to witnesses.

Mohamed Ali, one of the residents of Hobyo district said that the fighting between the pirates and naval forces started as more forces with their warship attacked pirates based around Hobyo district on Monday morning adding that the wounded people were fishers patrolling in the areas where the clash happened.

“Where the clash started was about 30 kilometers to the coast of Hobyo. So one pirate was killed and three fishermen were wounded during the fire exchange between the pirates and forces of the warships who attacked the pirates,” said one of the residents of Honyo district.

Is this the same event? - EU denies role in Somalia helicopter clash

The European Union's anti-piracy mission on Monday denied that one of its helicopters was involved in a clash with Somali pirates in which four people were killed.

Residents in the village of Labad on Somalia's northern coast said pirates had shot at a military helicopter on Sunday night, which returned fire killing at least four people.

"That helicopter does not belong to EU NAVFOR," Lieutenant Colonel Per Klingvall, spokesman for the EU naval force, told AFP.

"We have not heard of any incident like this from other task forces," he said, referring to US and NATO operations in the waters around the lawless Horn of Africa country.

Abdi Yare, a pirate leader, said the helicopter fired one missile in response to the shooting, killing four people including fishermen.

The incident was confirmed to AFP by elders in Labad.

"The pirates were preparing to go for an attack when the chopper spotted them," said Abdulaziz Moalim Ahmed.

Another elder said the helicopter fired a missile after pirates shot at it.

Somali Pirates: Action by the Royal Navy and Marines

The Royal Navy recently has undertaken efforts to slow down the Somali pirates as set out here in an article devoted to describing the efforts of HMS Montrose in enforcing a semi-blockade of one area of the Somali coast:

. . . The ship was alerted yesterday to a gang of ten men acting suspiciously in a small boat off the coast of Somalia near to a known pirate camp. Their boat, loaded with ladders and fuel drums, was towing two other smaller vessels that have been traditionally used for pirate attacks against ships,said the UK Ministry of Defence.

HMS Montrose, which left HM Naval Base Devonport this summer, launched her Lynx helicopter and a boat of Royal Marines and sailors to investigate.

Once the suspected pirates spotted the helicopter and boarding team, four of the suspected pirates took one of the smaller boats and tried to flee to shore. The remaining men stopped in the water and when the Lynx helicopter hovered overhead they tried to get rid of their ladders overboard.

After the Royal Navy boarding team confiscated all the pirate gear, thus ensuring that the gang could no longer pose a threat to merchantmen, they were transferred to the remaining skiff.

Previous action by the ship thwarted an attack on a merchant ship.

The Royal Marines, as presented in an article by LCPL Ryan Gorman found in The Globe and Laurel (and forwarded to me by a kind reader) engaged in a little blockade work of their own as they undertook a raid against a Somali pirate haven:

After lots of surface searches along the Somali coast we gained a lot of intelligence on the main pirate camps and identified some that had not been recorded before. We noticed that the pirates kept their whalers (large skiffs with an inboard engine carrying around 16-20 barrels of fuel on board) anchored just off the shore. They used them to store all their fuel, to refuel their skiffs, and packed them to act as mother vessels for launching attacks at sea.

To counter this capability a plan was formed to insert, stealing the whalers, tow them out into deeper water and blow them up, this became known as a small Commando raid.

One of the three Whaler type boats that HMS Lancaster destroyed

The first raid was on two whalers positioned 200m from the beach. There was a lot of activity on the beach and a pirate camp was hidden in the caves behind the beach. As we approached the beach, some jack pirates retreated in a skiff, leaving one of their oppos in a whaler. As the team in the RIBs approached, they detained the pirate that had been left behind and started cutting the whalers loose and towing them away from the beach. It was decided to leave the whaler behind with the captured pirate in it. Before the whaler was left behind, Capt Eaton and LCpl Wilson smashed the parrels open with an axe and poured 1kg of sugar into each (supposedly this makes it unusable). The whaler that was towed away was then blown up by Lancaster's 30mm gun; it looked like a scene from a Hollywood film as a nice big fireball erupted!

Having completed over 50 AAVs and 15 boardings, we have been one of the busier teams in recent years. In total we managed to capture six pirates, blow up two whalers and sabotage another one (a total of around 50 barrels of fuel destroyed). This will definitely disrupt pirate operatios in the area for a while. The raids were an interesting new tactic for the Navy and it is the first time that any boarding team has conducted such a task in recent years. Hopefully the standard has now been set and other RMBTs can continue to sabotage, dirupt and imprison more pirates in the future!

Lower two photos from HMS Lancaster website.

UPDATE: An earlier report of Turkish inshore action from Saturn 5 here:

The ship's helicopter was scanning the southern Somali coast for pirate activity when a suspicious vessel was seen not far from the shore and near a suspected pirate camp, some 100 miles south of the Somali capital, Mogadishu.

Initial reports from the helicopter crew stated seeing the kind of equipment commonly used by pirates on the vessel. TCG Gokceada's boarding team was quickly dispatched and boarded the suspicious vessel.

The seven-man boarding team found 21 drums of fuel, enough to sustain a small vessel at sea for many days, and a long ladder with hooks (the kind typically used by pirates to board large cargo vessels).
Approval was given for the boarding team to transfer the three personnel on the vessel ashore, to confiscate the fuel and ladder, and sink the vessel.

Naval Institute Piracy Conference 20 October

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Martin N. Murphy, Author and Piracy Expert

Panel: Blackbeard to Barbary Pirates: Making Their Mark on History
RADM Joseph F. Callo, USNR (Ret.), Author (moderator)
  Dr. Virginia W. Lunsford, USNA, Author
  Frederick C. Leiner, Author
  LCDR Benjamin Armstrong, USN, Author

Panel: Piracy's Impact on International Commerce, Law and Diplomacy
CAPT Robert "Turk" Maggi, USN (Ret.), U.S. Department of State (moderator)
  COL Iya J Gababo, Defense Attache, Embassy of the Republic of Kenya,
  Robert Gauvin, Piracy Policy, U.S. Coast Guard
  CAPT Mark Tempest, USNR (Ret.), Attorney

Luncheon Keynote Speaker: Stephen M. Carmel, Senior Vice President, Maersk Line, Limited

Panel: Pirates: How Do We Defeat Them?
CDR John P. Patch, USN (Ret.), U.S. Army War College (moderator)
  RADM Terence E. McKnight, USN (Ret.),
  Capt Zachary D. Martin, USMC, Marine Expeditionary Force Recon Company  
  Laurence Smallman, Defense Research Analyst, RAND Corporation

Annapolis, October 20, 2010

Details and much more information here.

Come on, take the day off and join the fun!

Tanzanian navy fights Somali pirates, captures one

Radio Netherlands reports Tanzanian navy captures pirate in sea battle:

The incident happened on Sunday night off the South Tanzanian coast, in an area where oil and gas firm Ophir Energy has an exploration vessel.

"The navy vessel was seriously damaged and was pierced, with at least 50 bullet holes,"a Regional Police Commander Steven Buyuya said.

Two Tanzanian soldiers were wounded. After the clash, navy and police boats chased the pirate boat. They arrested one suspected pirate, who was brought to Dar es Salaam for interrogation, but the others escaped.

Recent reports indicate Tanzania has been boosting its anti-pirate capacity with some help from other countries.

Somali Pirates: EU Spanish LPD Takes Out Some Pirate Boats

EU MSC (HOA) reports The spanish warship “GALICIA” disrupts a pirate action group off the Somali coasts:

September 22, EU NAVFOR Spanish ship GALICIA disrupted a pirate action group, comprised of one whaler and two skiffs.

Galicia was patrolling off the east coast of Somalia and thanks to detailed information gathering, the Spanish ship was able to intercept two skiffs and the whaler.
The group was located at night only 500 meters from the Somali coast by one of Galicia’s helicopters, which started the preparation for the interception.

This one was completed without any opposition from the 11 suspected pirates. The whaler and skiffs carried all pirate paraphernalia indicating they were preparing to conduct acts of piracy off the coasts (fuel drums, ladders, weapons and ammunition.

As none of the pirates were caught in an act of piracy, although conspiracy was clearly stated, it was not possible to proceed with a prosecution. However, everything that could be used to conduct piracy was seized and the whaler and one skiff were destroyed.

Keeping the bad guys from getting to sea . . . blockade those pirates!

The Magellan Star: Pirate Takedown, Force Recon Style by Capt. Alexander Martin | USNI Blog

Go read at The Magellan Star: Pirate Takedown, Force Recon Style by Capt. Alexander Martin | USNI Blog

Somali Pirates Meet the U.S. Marines - Pirates Lose

From the Wall Street Journal U.S. Marines Retake Ship From Pirates

U.S. Marines early Thursday boarded and seized control of a German-owned commercial vessel that had been commandeered by pirates, in what appeared to be the first American-led military boarding of its kind amid a recent surge of attacks in the Gulf of Aden and along the east coast of Africa.

See also this on the Marines from the U.S. Naval Insitute Blog Pirates Beware: Force Recon Really Does Have Your Number:

“We got word that the pirates wanted to stay on and fight — it was funny b/c when we came alongside and they saw us board and rush the superstructure, you could see the look change in their eyes…they didn’t want to play anymore…you’d be proud of the men today, they represented America with honor. It didn’t need to be a bloodless day (for the pirates) but it was…


The guys executed with the highest violence of action, and yet, highest level of restraint, I’ve ever seen.”

For an earlier blog post by the Marine Captain with this unit, Alex Martin, on the nature of piracy, see The Reality of Piracy.

Marines doing what Marines were meant to do, taking the fight to the enemy at sea.

UPDATE: Photo added. Photo info:

Helicopters from USS Dubuque (LPD 8) provide aerial watch as U.S. Marines from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit’s Maritime Raid Force, embarked on Dubuque, right, boarded and seized control of Antigua and Barbuda-flagged, German-owned vessel M/V Magellan Star, left, early Sept. 9. Pirates attacked and boarded Magellan Star Sept. 8. Dubuque is part of Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, the multinational task force established by Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) to conduct counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden and the Somali basin. (U.S. Navy photo by Cryptologic Technician 2nd Class William Farmerie)

From NavCent press release:

MANAMA, Bahrain – At approximately 5 a.m. local time, Sept. 9, 24 U.S. Marines from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit’s Maritime Raid Force (MRF) aboard USS Dubuque (LPD 8) operating under Combined Task Force 151 (CTF-151), boarded and seized control of Antigua-Barbuda-flagged, German–owned vessel M/V Magellan Star from pirates who attacked and boarded the vessel early Sept 8.


This successful mission by Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) secured the safety of the ship’s crew and returned control of the ship to the civilian mariners. Nine pirates are currently under control of CTF 151, pending further disposition. This ship’s crew has not reported any injuries or casualties. There were no reported injuries from the U.S. Maritime Raid Force.


The CTF-151 flagship, TCG Gökçeada, a Turkish frigate, was the first ship on scene, responding to a distress call received from Magellan Star, Sept. 8. Two additional warships assigned to CTF-151, USS Dubuque (LPD 8) and USS Princeton (CG 59) arrived in the vicinity of the attack to provide support to Gökçeada.


Turkish Navy Rear Adm. Sinan Ertugrul, commander, CTF-151 said, “units from the multi-national maritime force, under Combined Task Force 151, are actively engaged in anti-piracy operations. This regional problem, truly, has global impact and we are completely committed to bringing the disruptive acts of piracy to an end. We have full support of the international community and will continue to do everything possible to bring security to the Gulf of Aden and Somali Basin.”


CTF-151 is one of three task forces operated by the 25 nation Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). CTF-151 was established in January 2009 in order to deter, disrupt, and suppress piracy, protecting maritime vessels of all nationalities and securing international freedom of navigation.

BZ to everyone involved!

Somali Pirates: Seychelles CG Fights Pirates - Wins - Rescues Captives

Seychelles' Coast Guard took on some Somali pirates and won a victory at sea, rescuing captured Seychellois fishermen, Iranians and capturing some pirates, as reported as in Seychelles downs pirates, rescues crews:

In a successful attack on a pirate vessel, the coastguard of Seychelles overwhelmed armed Somali pirates and managed to free Iranian and Seychellois crews and their two fishing vessels. President James Michel had ordered the attack himself.
***

It is believed that 9 Somali pirates hijacked the 'Galate', which had 6 Seychellois men onboard. The pirates used a dhow, which they had hijacked with 21 Iranian crew members onboard last Friday. This was then used to hijack the Seychellois vessel. The Seychellois crew was moved onto the Iranian dhow following the attack.

Together with the assistance of an EU Maritime Patrol Aircraft, the 'Topaz' located the position of the dhow, which was towing the 'Galate' and tried to engage with the vessel. The pirates responded in a threatening manner and the 'Topaz' fired several warning shots.

The dhow continued to travel towards Somalia, with 'Topaz' in pursuit.

Seychellois President James Michel, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Seychelles Armed Forces, himself gave the orders for 'Topaz' to "intercept the vessel and ensure that it did not reach Somalia," according to a government statement sent afrol News.

This afternoon the 'Topaz' disabled the dhow by firing at the engine of the boat, which resulted in a fire onboard the dhow. The pirates, the Iranian crew as well as the Seychellois men onboard jumped into the sea. The 'Topaz' thus picked up all the six Seychellois men from the sea.

The Seychelles coastguard had also rescued all the Iranian crew members, and among them one Iranian man has been injured, with a gunshot wound to the upper arm. "All the Somali pirates have now also been retrieved from the sea," according to government information.

According to the Seychelles Office of the Commanding Officer, the 'Topaz' repelled yet another Somali pirate attack on its way back to Seychelles with the rescued crews. The 'Topaz' had "returned fire, one attack skiff was sunk and the mother ship exploded and caught fire. The third skiff managed to escape," a statement said. The 'Topaz' continued towards Seychelles, "having taken the decision that the priority was to return the freed hostages home safely and not to risk the lives of the civilians on board by hunting for the third skiff."
***The 'Topaz' had been fired upon by rocket-propelled grenades by the pirates, and had successfully evaded them. "Our men on board the Topaz have shown that they are capable in dealing with piracy in the most difficult of circumstances," President Michel praised the crew. "Our Armed Forces have risen to the challenge and we are all proud of them," he added.***

Recent legislation clarified the SCG's right to pursue pirates in "hot pursuit" after a hijacking in Seychelles waters.

SCG Topaz is an Indian Trinkat-class fast patrol vessel transferred to the Seychelles from the Indian Navy in 2005 according to www.bharat-rakshak.com:

INS Tarmugli T64 was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 04 March 2002. She was transferred to the Seychelles Coast Guard on 23 February 2005 and was renamed as the SCG Topaz.

The top photo shows SCG Topaz in Indian service.

The Seychelles Coast Guard has been actively involved in maritime training with the United States Navy, as set out here:

U.S. service members from Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) and USS Halsey reviewed visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) tactics with Seychelles Coast Guard personnel at Seychelles Coast Guard headquarters on August 14, 2008.

U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Stuart Cravens, CJTF-HOA, said the Seychelles Coast Guard already has some experience with these procedures.

"The Seychelles Coast Guard does an excellent job of patrolling the Seychelles waters," said Cravens. "Most of the visit, board, search, and seizure they conduct is usually in a compliant situation, meaning the captain and crew of the vessels they board are not aggressive."

With malicious acts such as piracy on the rise, Cravens said the Seychelles Coast Guard members want to be prepared in case such an act is committed in Seychelles territory.

"The Seychelles Coast Guard expressed their concerns to CJTF-HOA about the need for training for non-compliant VBSS situations," said Cravens.

The training consisted of basic techniques of shipboard tactical movement, self-defense, searching and handcuffing procedures.

Lower photo caption:

VICTORIA, Seychelles - Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Justin Boulanger, a member of USS Halsey's visit, board, search and seizure team, demonstrates proper boarding techniques with the Seychelles Coast Guard during training at Seychelles Coast Guard headquarters on August 14, 2008. U.S. service members from Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa and USS Halsey partnered with the Seychelles Coast Guard to review tactics for visit, board, search and seizure situations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sergeant Darrell I. Dean)

UPDATE: More on EU-tasked Swedish Maritime Patrol Aircraft from MSC(HOA):

Early this morning, 29th March, the EU NAVFOR Force Commander, Rear Adm Giovanni Gumiero, tasked the Seychelles Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) to support the Seychelles Coast Guard vessel Topaz in an anti piracy operation against three hijacked ships.

It had been reported that a Pirate Action Group (PAG) hijacked a Motor Vessel ARZOO with 14 Indian nationals onboard. EU NAVFOR had been monitoring its movements and noticed that 2 days ago the vessel was abandoned by the pirates near to the Seychelles when the vessel ran out of fuel. The crew were released unharmed. They hijacked another ship (fishing vessel) called GALATE and set course for the northern Somali basin. The Swedish MPA monitored the movements of this vessel and reported to the EU NAVFOR Force HQ. At this time the Seychelles Coast Guard vessel Topaz was vectored onto the position. The EU NAVFOR Luxemburg MPA then arrived and provided cover and positional information to the Topaz.

Earlier post on the Swedish Coast Guard MPA here.

Somali Pirates: The EU Naval Force Press Briefing 2.2.10

RADM Hudson, Operation Commander, EUNAVOR OPERATION ATALANTA :
 Part 1:

Part2: