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Raja Bose wrote:Rooskies always know how to brutally put fear in the mind of their enemies. Anybody remember the Alfa team incident where they captured one terrorist and beheaded him in full view of his comrades. Their message....release all hostages or the rest of you will go the same way. The rest of the terrorists immediately surrendered.
In October 1985, Alfa was dispatched to Beirut, Lebanon, when four Soviet diplomats had been taken hostage by a Sunni militant group. By the time Alfa was onsite, one of the hostages had already been killed. The perpetrators and their relatives were identified by supporting KGB operatives, and the relatives were taken hostage. Following the standard policy of 'no negotiation', Alfa proceeded to sever some of their hostages' body parts and sent them to the perpetrators with a warning that more would follow if the Russian hostages were not released immediately. The tactic was a success and no other Russian national was taken hostage in the Middle East for the next 20 years,[2] until the 2006 abduction of Russian diplomats in Iraq.
You are an amazing source of anecdotes, Bose saar. Thanks ....
An Indian navy ship thwarted three piracy attacks while escorting cargo vessels in the Gulf of Aden this week. The Defense Ministry says Indian Marine commandos disarmed pirates Wednesday who approached six merchant ships they were protecting nearly 70 miles (110 kilometers) south of the Yemeni coast.
In a statement Thursday, the ministry said the commandos, who boarded the pirates' boat, recovered weapons and ammunition. The ministry said that was one of three attempted attacks the Indian ship fended off this week. The Gulf of Aden, which connects the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean, is one of the world's busiest shipping lanes and a prime target for Somali pirates. An international flotilla of warships patrol the vast area.
Karan Dixit wrote:^ Indian Navy should only be concentrating on escorting Indian ships.
Most of the ships sail with Indian sailors, even if the flag is of another country. Also, there have been occassions when Indian ships have been helped by other navies ....
Hello Every one,
This is my first post on this forum.
I am Murali from Andhra pradesh state and presently living and working in Cape Town for last two years. I write buggy code for a company here.
Indian navy ships (INS Mysore,Ganga,tabar) are presently visiting cape town and anchored at waterfront. Please see the below link, I will upload more pictures by end of today.
Also, you can reach any military related thread by clicking on "Bharat Rakshak Discussion Forum" link which is located beneath all the latest threads on the main page. From there, you can find all military related threads under "Military Issues and History" forum.
murali.g wrote:Hello Every one,
This is my first post on this forum.
I am Murali from Andhra pradesh state and presently living and working in Cape Town for last two years. I write buggy code for a company here.
Indian navy ships (INS Mysore,Ganga,tabar) are presently visiting cape town and anchored at waterfront. Please see the below link, I will upload more pictures by end of today.
....With an increase in number of
incidents of piracy near the East
African Coast, Mauritius and
Seychelles and at the request of the
Seychelles Government, seven
Indian Naval ships have been
deployed in the EEZ of
Seychelles/Mauritius for anti-piracy
operations between April 2009 – Apr
2010....
A piracy incident barely 700 Kms from Mumbai shore. This is cause for concern - even though ICG and IN can easily depoly assets from the Indian coastline to the scene.
Guess MCF sea king and MARCOS must have deployed from INS Shikra.
At about 6 AM on 11 Nov, about 450 nautical miles West of Mumbai, a merchant ship MV BBC Orinoco with a crew of 14 (5 Ukraine and 9 Philippino) reported being attacked by pirates. The crew locked themselves in the ships Engine room and the Steering compartment and communicated with their agents, UK MTO Dubai, on e-mail. Dubai, in turn, intimated the Indian Navy for assistance.
On receipt of this information, the Indian Navy promptly detached one of its missile corvettes, INS Veer, to intercept the distressed vessel and also sailed a destroyer INS Delhi with a team of Marine Commandos (MARCOS) embarked. One of the Navy's long range maritime ratrol aircraft (Ilyushin-38) was extensively deployed for aerial surveillance. The Indian Coast Guard, too, responded with alacrity adjusting all routine deployments to keep one or more Dornier aircraft on hot standby, besides asking their ships on assigned mission to be also on stand-by.
At daybreak, the naval forces, which had arrived at the scene, commenced their actions. MARCOS slithered onto the merchant ship from a Sea King helicopter and took the crew, who were locked in compartments, to safety, while the helicopter provided air borne fire support. The merchantman was boarded by naval personnel and a thorough search is currently in progress. The ship will set course for its destination once the boarding party reports all clear. Although no pirates remain onboard, implements such as crow bar, knives etc., were found aboard the ship.
MV BBC Orinoco is a General Cargo Carrier and is registered in Antigua and Barbuda.
The pirates modus operandi is to deploy a small skiff from a mother ship. There are too many such ships in the commercial shipping zone to visit, board and search. Such ships are non state actors supported by logistics and other support by rogue states.
Combine the recent news item on Al-Qaeda wanting to takeover a state and use terrorism as state policy e.g. Somalia if successful, piracy on the high seas will become a formalised instrument of terrorism for strategic gains like land based terrorism. We may yet see the re-emerge of the WWII style merchant convoys with port to port escorts.
If TSP diversified into the piracy game with and through Al-Qaeda, it would provide them with a new high value lower cost (compared to conventional war) nuisance factor. They may be able to tie up a portion of the IN in protecting merchant ships similar to a portion of the IA being tied up due to ISI's mischief in India.
Veer was diverted and happened to be the closest IN vessel to the BBC Orinco, However she does not have the capability to board MARCOS, which explains Delhi's necessity.
Crews locking themselves into a strong room with radio and email communication facility is now SOP. Some merchant ships now have ship perimeter fences which can be electrified on demand, as in when hostile's are trying to board from the sea.
I don't think a single shot was fired by the Sea King and the MARCOS.
Last edited by rahulm on 14 Nov 2010 09:00, edited 3 times in total.
rahulm wrote:Crews locking themselves into a strong room with radio and email communication facility is now SOP.
This has been the norm for ages, most of the private operators clearly instruct the captain to ensure that everyone remains secure in the super structure(island) and wait for the pirates to leave. For instance the ships that ply the route haldia-diamond harbor-khidirpur are are often attacked in the night and the pirates take away all the 'ropes' (apparently they fetch a decent amount in the black-market) and what ever movables they can find on the deck. Some of the boats on that route have ex IN guys as captains and they have expressed their helplessness in this regard as the local police is simply incapable of handling this mess (they are strictly told to stay clear of trouble as the pirates have strong political connections).
Last edited by negi on 15 Nov 2010 02:56, edited 1 time in total.
Combine the recent news item on Al-Qaeda wanting to takeover a state and use terrorism as state policy e.g. Somalia if successful, piracy on the high seas will become a formalised instrument of terrorism for strategic gains like land based terrorism. We may yet see the re-emerge of the WWII style merchant convoys with port to port escorts....
If that were to happen, the response of the navies will be much different. At present in most cases the pirates are only disarmed, extra fuel/equipment destroyed and arms confiscated. In case the purpose behind the piracy changes, the scale of military response will change as well. Including perhaps, land based one.
...If TSP diversified into the piracy game with and through Al-Qaeda, it would provide them with a new high value lower cost (compared to conventional war) nuisance factor. They may be able to tie up a portion of the IN in protecting merchant ships similar to a portion of the IA being tied up due to ISI's mischief in India.
...
"If"? It already has and you already have two high profile terrorist operations carried out against India in Mumbai. The first one resulted in Operation Swan, and the second (which involved an act of piracy of MV Kuber) resulted in the present expansion of Coastal Security Scheme. The Navy already has committed resources to obtain strictly brown water patrol vessels and is even raising a 'Sagar Prahari Bal'. ICG is also expanding.
the pirates know enough about the patroling patterns to know where to divert and which sectors to target. they can remain at sea for a long time. teh Indian ocean is vast and there simply cannot be enough naval vessels to patrol it indefinitely. we need to tackle this issue at the roots
there are apparently moves afoot to hire ex marcos and other naval retirees for security onboard merchant men, however one key issue is that merchant captains and officers are not trained to make 'combat decisions' unlike navy personnel and so there are often delays and complications in taking early and decisive action. this may explain the incident where the security guard jumped into the sea last year to get away from the pirates (i think he was east european?)
The other issue is of insurance. Lloyds et al are not too happy about having armed personnel aboard merchant ships due to the various liability issues it gives rise to...
the beauty of pakistan diversifying into piracy is unlike Somalia whose coast can be raided/bombarded at will if the international coalition sees fit, pakistan can and will defend itself strongly against any attempt to follow pirates back into pak territorial waters. it can claim a section of the makran coast as out of govt control and subject to lawless tribes.,,and make addl money from western countries to reluctantly 'police' that region and burn a few hamlets now and then
Lalmohan wrote:this may explain the incident where the security guard jumped into the sea last year to get away from the pirates (i think he was east european?)
oh no no...the guards were super-duper ex-SBS British onlee. But since they were super-duper brits, the downhill skiing and high jump was explained away as soup-e-rear tactical brilliance onlee (in more SDRE content, it would have qualified as cowardice).
peacetime soldiers onree saar. in india people with lathis and venerable 303 confront ak47 armed terrorists and these guys probably armed with the best of gear could not put up a fight.
this press release of our Ministry of defence is interesting in that; one wonders as to the origin and port of call of these here pirates in the Arabian sea. where are the mother vessels refuelled and where do they go with their loot.
Indian Navy Deploys Multi Ship Anti-Piracy Force
More than 500 Nautical Miles From Mumbai to Sanitise Eastern Arabian Sea
A multi ship force of the Indian Navy has been tasked to undertake a comprehensive search in the Eastern parts of the Arabian Sea to locate and disable probable pirate (mother) vessels and skiffs.
Between 24th and 29th Nov 10 a sudden spurt of piracy attempts were reported in the Eastern Part of Arabian Sea at distances of 350-700 nautical miles from the West Coast of India. Reports were also received about MT Polar, a Panama Flagged Tanker hijacked on 30 Oct 10, being in the area and acting as a possible mother ship. In a swift step of affirmative action the Indian Navy despatched its force to the area to search and locate pirate mother vessels/dhows/skiffs and carry out a thorough anti piracy sanitization of the area. The Indian Naval Force consists of ships, armed helicopters, MARCOS team and Maritime Patrol Aircraft.
The efforts of Indian Navy yielded immediate results as MT Polar has cleared the area in Eastern Arabian Sea on 30 Nov 10 and was heading back towards Somalia at best speed. Even as the movement of MT Polar is being monitored, Indian Naval Ships are combing the area for other possible mother vessels/skiffs.
It is appreciated that the threat of piracy in the area which has witnessed recent attacks has considerably decreased due to this development. The Indian Navy and Director General Shipping of India are continuing to monitor the situation and issue advisories for all ships regarding piracy prone areas and implement Best Management Practices in these areas. Protection of the Sea Lanes of Communication remains a priority of the Govt of India and the Indian Navy.
It maybe recalled that in response to increasing incidents of piracy in the Gulf of Aden, the Indian Navy commenced anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden in Oct 2008. Since then the Indian Navy has continuosly maintained one ship on patrol in the region with 23 IN Ships having been deputed for this tour of duty. These IN ships have ensured safe passage of 1415 merchantmen, of various nationalities, across the pirate infested waters in the Gulf of Aden. Not a single ship under escort of the Indian Navy has been hijacked to date.
IN ships have so far successfully thwarted 23 piracy attempts. The most recent being INS Delhi disrupting 04 Piracy attempts in the Gulf of Aden in Sep 10 and INS Rajput disrupting 03 Piracy attempts in the Gulf of Aden in Oct 10 . The Indian Navy also provided assistance to sanitise MV BBC Orinoco which came under pirate attack about 450 nm West of Mumbai in 11 Nov 10.
New Delhi: The Indian Navy has apprehended a suspicious dhow in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) west of Bitra Island in the Lakshadweep Islands.
At around 2.00 pm on December 3, INS Rajput, on anti-piracy combing operations in the Eastern Arabian sea, apprehended the suspicious dhow.
The dhow with 19 foreigners on board is being escorted to Kavaratti in the Lakshadweep Islands to be handed over to the police.
The Navy is continuing to deploy additional ships and aircraft to carry out anti-piracy sanitization in the area West of Lakshadweep Islands.
Through its sustained presence in the Gulf of Aden and swift action in other hot spots of piracy in the Arabian Sea, the Indian Navy has ensured reduction in incidents of piracy in the region.
In response to reports of increase in incidents of pirate attacks in the Eastern Arabian sea, INS Krishna was deployed to patrol West of Lakshadweep Islands. INS Krishna located a Thai trawler named ‘Prantalay 12′ which was being used as a mother ship, after having been hijacked several months ago.
On sighting INS Krishna the trawler started heading Westwards at maximum speed away from the islands. One of the Thai nationals held hostage on board was seen to be pushed into the sea. INS Krishna immediately rescued the Thai national and provided necessary medical aid. The Thai national has been brought back to Kochi for further formalities.
^^^^ You might remember the last time a Thai vessel was hijacked by pirates, the pirates opened fire with RPGs on the Indian Navy vessel. Our Navy promptly blew them out of the water
Back to Somalia. They do not need a stop & refuel to reach this far in the Indian ocean
the network is very sopshiticated. in somalia, yemen and possibly other places around the horn. they have intel, recon and logistics support. there are negotiators, front men, fixers. its high end organised crime with almost certainly an al-q input
the calculated use of violence (or the threat of violence) against civilians in order to attain goals that are political or religious or ideological in nature; this is done through intimidation or coercion or instilling fear
So far the Somali pirates have not claimed any political agenda, nor have they targetted ships of any particular nationality. Also, they rarely kill any hostage once captured. I will not call it terrorism - also there are no proven linkages with AQ and other groups.
Chittagong, Dec 7 (UNB) - S R Shipping, owner of hijacked ship, has squarely blamed the negligence of India for Somali pirates taking away MV Jahan Moni from the Indian coast on Sunday afternoon.
“The ship came under attack of the pirates near the Indian maritime boundary at about 3pm. It was immediately wired to Indian Kochin Port, Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre and all the nearby ports of India,” SR Shipping General Manager Meherul Kabir told newsmen today.
He added with a note of frustration, “Indians could resist the pirates if they wanted it. Pirates took control of the ship 90 minutes after the SOS wired to Indian rescue centre and nearby ports…It was barely 40 minutes way from the Indian maritime boundary.”
Quoting Satellite Track report Kabir informed that the pirates directed the ship towards Somali coast. It was seen within 1000 nautical miles of Somali coast at noon today.
He declined to divulge the steps they have taken to rescue the ship and 26 crews. But, he said, negotiations were continuing through the London based insurance company. They were examining the process how the hijacked ships were secured earlier from the Somali pirates.
According to a UN report released in December 2008, revenues gained from the payment of ransoms are distributed as follows: 30 percent for sponsors, 20 percent for financiers, 30 percent for the maritime militia (pirates involved in the actual hijacking), 10 percent for the ground militia (controlling the territory where the pirates are based), and 10 percent for local community, including elders and local officials. In addition, the families of pirates killed during an operation are paid compensation.
Dumisani Shadrack Kumalo, “Letter dated 10 December 2008 from the Chairman of the Security Council Committee Established Pursuant to Resolution 751 (1992) Concerning Somalia Addressed to the President of the Security Council,” United Nations Security Council, 10 December 2008, available at http://www.securitycouncilreport.org/.
Its a well knit operation involving khat chewing Somalian warlords.
NEW DELHI: Striking another blow against piracy off the coast of Somalia, an Indian Navy warship "intercepted and disabled" a dhow carrying 31 pirates and their equipment in the Gulf of Aden.
The Navy said the warship, INS Investigator, swung into action after receiving a distress call from a merchant vessel, Naftocement 18, while transiting through the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday.
"Six skiffs, with outboard motors, a AK-47 with ammunition, gas cylinders and fuel was found on board the dhow after it was intercepted... the pirate boat was then disabled," said an officer.
Indian warships have warded off 26 piracy attempts since it began deploying warships in the Gulf of Aden in October 2008 to protect merchant vessels. "Our warships have safely escorted 1,415 ships of different nations through this strategic trade route since 2008," he said.
With pirates now operating far away from their bases in and around Somalia, Indian warships have also stepped up patrolling in eastern Arabian Sea to scare the sea brigands away.
Navy and directorate-general of shipping have also urged all merchant vessels to adopt "best management practices" in piracy-hit regions, including the creation of a "safe house or room" on the ship by fortifying the bridge or engine room.
"In the event of a pirate attack, the crew can lock themselves in the safe room and wait till help arrives. Otherwise, the general policy is not to launch intervention operations against a hijacked ship where the crew is being held hostage to avoid casualties," he said.
INS Investigator is <2000 Ton survey ship. Accoring to BR the only armament is 1 or 2 Bofors 40mm/60 guns. Obvisouly they used all available firepower to "disable" that pirate vessel!
The Navy is doing a great job with each vessel responding to pirate attacks. Days back it was training ship Krishna that pursued a hijacked ship.
