Indian Navy and International Anti-Piracy Ops

neerajb · Post by **neerajb** » 22 Dec 2008 10:23

Yogi_G wrote:Link: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/do ... 410007.htm

Really curious where they relieved themselves during those 2 weeks?

Anyway not expecting any reply from anyone

Cheers....

Yogi_G · Post by **Yogi_G** » 23 Dec 2008 04:58

neerajbhandari wrote:
Yogi_G wrote:Link: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/do ... 410007.htm
Really curious where they relieved themselves during those 2 weeks?
Anyway not expecting any reply from anyone

Cheers....

dude guess what...I had the same question but dint want to jot it down for fear of being hunted down by Admins for "being soooooooooo off topic"....

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 26 Dec 2008 00:32

German navy foils Somali pirates

Six Somali pirates were captured by sailors of the frigate Karlsruhe in the Gulf of Aden.
However, the pirates were immediately released on the orders of the German government, officials told the BBC.

The Karlsruhe sent a helicopter to protect the Egyptian cargo ship Wadi al-Arab from the pirates, who shot and injured a member of its crew as they tried to board the vessel.
A German navy spokesperson based in Djibouti told the BBC's Greg Morsbach the Somali attackers were disarmed by German sailors and their weapons confiscated.
"We had forces on board the frigate, and they used fast small boats, and together with the helicopter we were able to surround the pirates and disarm them," he said.
He said the decision not to detain or arrest them was taken by the German government in Berlin.
A spokesman for the EU's mission off Somalia, Cdr Achim Winkler, told the BBC's Europe Today programme that Germany would only bring pirates to justice where German interests were hurt.

Cybaru · Post by **Cybaru** » 26 Dec 2008 00:56

Gerard wrote:German navy foils Somali pirates
Six Somali pirates were captured by sailors of the frigate Karlsruhe in the Gulf of Aden.
However, the pirates were immediately released on the orders of the German government, officials told the BBC.

A spokesman for the EU's mission off Somalia, Cdr Achim Winkler, told the BBC's Europe Today programme that Germany would only bring pirates to justice where German interests were hurt.

That's very selfish of them

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 26 Dec 2008 01:13

typical EU PCness and HR fright. useless buffoons.

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 02 Jan 2009 18:51

Somali pirates free second Yemeni ship without ransom

Somali pirates have released a second Yemeni fishing ship without ransom, more than two weeks after they hijacked the two ships in the Gulf of Aden

Rasi said the motive behind hijacking the two ships was not ransom. "The pirates intended to use the ships as mother ships for their attacks on merchant ships crossing the Gulf of Aden," he was quoted as saying.

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 02 Jan 2009 18:55

Malaysian and Saudi navy copters scare off pirates

an Indian tanker, MT Abul Kalam Azad, from a similar fate.

The 92,000-tonne vessel was sailing in the gulf at 11.37am (Malaysian time) when it was attacked by pirates in two skifs.

One of the boats had seven men in it, all armed with machine guns. They unleashed a barrage of fire at the bridge and accommodation area of the ship. They also tried to board it, all the while keeping up the attack.

However, the ship began taking evasive measures and increased speed to the maximum. This was also when it issued a distress signal, which was picked up by Malaysian navy support ship KD Sri Indera Sakti about 15 nautical miles away.
Upon receiving the signal, commanding officer Capt Mohamad Adib Abdul Samad despatched a helicopter, reaching the tanker in less than 10 minutes.

AdityaM · Post by **AdityaM** » 06 Jan 2009 09:44

A different light on piracy:

When piracy is only self-defence

Ameet · Post by **Ameet** » 09 Jan 2009 03:13

US Navy creates force to fight piracy

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/01 ... index.html

The unit -- called Combined Task Force 151 -- is a spinoff of an existing force in the region that addressed a range of security issues, such as drug smuggling and weapons trafficking, as well as piracy.

Shivani · Post by **Shivani** » 10 Jan 2009 23:11

5 Somali Pirates Drown With Share of $3M Ransom

Foxnews wrote: Saturday, January 10, 2009

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Five of the Somali pirates who released a hijacked oil-laden Saudi supertanker drowned with their share of a reported $3 million ransom after their small boat capsized, a pirate and port town resident said Saturday.

Pirate Daud Nure says the boat with eight people on board overturned in a storm after dozens of pirates left the Sirius Star following a two-month standoff in the Gulf of Aden that ended Friday.

He said five people died and three people reached shore after swimming for several hours. Daud Nure was not part of the pirate operation but knew those involved.

Jamal Abdulle, a resident of the Somali coastal town of Haradhere, close to where the ship was anchored also confirmed that the boat sank and that the eight's portion of the ransom money that had been shared between dozens of pirates was lost.

U.S. Navy photos showed a parachute, carrying what they described as "an apparent payment," floating toward the tanker. The Sirius Star and its 25-member crew had been held since Nov. 15. Its cargo of crude oil was valued at US$100 million at the time.
Related

The capture was seen as a dramatic demonstration of the pirates' ability to strike high value targets hundreds of miles offshore.

On the same day the Saudi ship was freed, pirates released a captured Iranian-chartered cargo ship, Iran's state television reported Saturday. It said the ship Daylight was carrying 36 tons of wheat when it was attacked in the Gulf of Aden Nov. 18 and seized by pirates. All 25 crew are in good health and the vessel is sailing toward Iran, the TV report said.

The U.S. Navy announced this week it will head a new anti-piracy taskforce after more than 100 ships were attacked last year.

NATO and the European Union already have warships patrolling the Gulf of Aden and have intervened to prevent several ships from being captured.

More than a dozen ships with about 300 crew members are still being held by pirates off the coast of Somalia, including the weapons-laden Ukrainian cargo ship MV Faina, which was seized in September.

The multimillion dollar ransoms are one of the few ways to earn a living in the impoverished, war-ravaged country. Somalia has not had a functioning government since 1991 and nearly half of its population depends on aid.

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 11 Jan 2009 04:58

Karma catches up.

However, how are these yahoos allowed to get into a small boat and ride to town? I would imagine they would be shot as they do that. Or do they have some other ransom-able item they carry with them?

Shivani · Post by **Shivani** » 11 Jan 2009 17:49

NRao wrote: However, how are these yahoos allowed to get into a small boat and ride to town? I would imagine they would be shot as they do that. Or do they have some other ransom-able item they carry with them?

For sure the pirates must have evolved a protocol for these dealings. We also do not know which country or organization provided the white aircraft that air dropped the container of 'payment'. Very professional.

Jagan · Post by **Jagan** » 16 Jan 2009 22:24

History Trivia

The Thai trawler boat sunk recently by the IN was NOT The first thai ship ever sunk by the IN.. we have been there before .

apparently during the 71 Ops, INS Beas operating off Bangladesh coast encountered four tug boats and sank one of them after they refused orders to be boarded. These turned out to be Thai tug boats that had been leased to Pakistan. twenty crew members were rescued / taken aboard, one died of a heart attack. No news on what happened to the boats after the war (Official 71 War history)

Aditya G · Post by **Aditya G** » 17 Jan 2009 21:44

Expect MARCOS in action again soon ... Suprised to see BR having missed this news.

http://www.ptinews.com/pti%5Cptisite.ns ... enDocument

New Delhi, Jan 16 (PTI) The Navy will take whatever action is required to get released Indian sailors being held hostage by pirates in a ship off the coast of Kenya, Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta today said.
"We will take whatever action is required to see that they get released," he told reporters here.

Asked about the number of hostages on board M V Alpha Manyara, Mehta said, "I am not aware if there were any Kenyans on board but according to the reports, which I have seen, the boat had an Indian captain, an engineer and one more person and there may be some other fishermen." Giving details, he said the incident took place "well outside the Gulf... It is fishing boat, which has been operating as a Kenyan fishing boat for many months." He said Indian ships deployed in the Gulf of Aden did not go for patrolling near the Kenyan coast.

"There is no patrolling that goes so far south and Kenya has always been well out of the Arabian gulf region," Mehta said during his visit to the annual NCC Republic Day Camp.

The merchant vessel was hijacked on January 9. PTI

Nitesh · Post by **Nitesh** » 29 Jan 2009 15:46

http://www.india-defence.com/reports/4187

Russia, India Begin Joint Anti-piracy Operations off Somalia
Dated 27/1/2009

The two nations have revealed on Tuesday that they will make naval drills off Somalia, where by pirates have been operating for the past 3 years.

The Russian and Indian navies have started joint naval exercises in the Arabian Sea off the Indian coast, as well as they will start an other operation in the Gulf of Aden, an Indian military source said today.

The operation was named as (INDRA) and it is a biennial Russian-Indian exercise aimed at practicing cooperation in enforcing maritime law and countering piracy, terrorism and drug smuggling. INDRA-2009 is the fourth such exercise since 2003 and will involve a number of live-fire drills.

India and Russia have been doing anti piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden and sent warships off Somali waters, briefly after UN endorsed an anti piracy mission off Somalia last year.

Russia's Pyotr Veliky missile cruiser from the Northern Fleet and the Indian guided-missile destroyer INS Delhi are taking part in the first stage, which will last until January 29, the sources added. An Udaloy class destroyer, a tugboat and two fuel tankers, which are carrying out anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden will be sent to Somalia before the end of this month.

On the other hand the commander of a U.S.-led fleet Rear Admiral Terry McKnight said that an increased naval presence in the Gulf of Aden has "dramatically" cut piracy off the coast of Somalia.

There have been four successful pirate attacks in or around the Gulf of Aden since the start of December, Rear Admiral Terry McKnight said in a telephone interview today from the USS San Antonio in the Gulf of Aden. There were at least 12 successful attacks in November alone, he says.

"The pirates can look out and see a lot of navy ships out there and it's been a deterrent," he said. "This is a coalition of many nations. We are out there and we are working together."

Pirates have been increasingly active in the waters off Somalia, where over 110 ships were attacked in 2008, with 42 vessels seized and 815 crew members abducted. Up to 20 warships from the navies of at least 10 countries are involved in anti-piracy operations off the coast of the lawless East African nation.

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 30 Jan 2009 01:19

Pirates use 'decoy' tactics to capture LPG tanker

SOMALIAN pirates today captured a German-owned LPG tanker participating in a convoy through the Gulf of Aden Maritime Security Patrol Area, diverting Chinese and Indian warships with a decoy raid to enable colleagues to seize a small ship with low freeboard.

“There were apparently three ships attacked, which diverted the attention of the warships, and unfortunately the ship that was taken hostage by the pirates was the Longchamp.”

“The Indian warship tried to repel the attack but was too late. [Longchamp] is a small LPG with a low freeboard, so she is easy to board. The pirates picked her, went on board, and the other pirates vacated the scene.

“The Indian warship kept a safe distance, so as not to aggravate the pirates. Then the ship turned hard to starboard and went straight for the Somali coast.”

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 31 Jan 2009 05:28

From Nightwatch 1/29/09

Kenya: The government of Kenya has agreed to prosecute Somali pirates captured by the U.S. Navy, allowing U.S. forces to begin taking piracy suspects into custody on the high seas, the Pentagon announced today. U.S. and Kenyan officials signed a bilateral agreement on 16 January that calls for suspects to be tried in Kenyan courts, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said.

Comment: This is a curious announcement because it implies that the US Navy refrained from stopping acts of piracy because it lacked the advice of lawyers for a prosecution? A Reader might wonder what might be the impact of the prosecution of a handful of Somalis in suppressing the overall pirate syndicate operations, which is a business cartel that runs the length of the Red Sea. The key question is when will the USN capture anybody?

Other navies, including the Russian, UK, Dutch, Malaysian, French, Indian and Chinese, among a dozen others, appear less squeamish. Those ships and their crews just shoot the pirates or blast them with water cannons. They make no pretense about the need to bring pirates to justice. The sea itself is the source of their justice.

There are lots of naval ships on patrol and escort duty off Somalia, but the US seems to be the only Navy concerned about prosecutions vs just stopping/deterring piracy. No doubt, there are other interpretations. Granted the issue is much more complicated, but still it seems odd that the most powerful navy in the history of the world has yet to be credited with stopping a single act of piracy off Somalia, according to open source reporting.

Since ancient times when admiralty law was being formed by the ship-building powers –as during the era of the Greek city states and the Persian Empire – naval ships could stop piracy summarily. Admiralty Law favored the righteous and the pirates were executed. It is not clear when the lawyers got involved, but historically lawyers were not part of a ship’s complement.

If the US Navy is preventing acts of piracy off Somalia, those actions need to reach the public that pays for them.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 02 Feb 2009 06:55

India to set up a naval airbase in Oman to check piracy

In its bid to tackle the problem of piracy in the Gulf of Aden, India is to set up a naval air base in Muscat, and the Omanese authorities are believed to have cleared India’s proposal in this regard. This is not surprising, according to Capt. P.V.K. Mohan, Chairman of National Shipping Board. After all, India took the lead in meeting the challenge thrown up by the piracy in that region.

The Navy sunk one mother pirate vessel and not only got Indian flag carriers released from the control of the Somali pirates but also ensured the release of other vessels held in captivity, particularly those with Indian crew on board. The frigate INS Mysore captured 23 pirates and handed them over to the Yemen Government. India, as Capt. Mohan said, also successfully took up with the United Nations the issue of the amendment to the relevant IMO resolution relating to combating piracy and a new resolution, 1856, was adopted.

ajay_ijn · Post by **ajay_ijn** » 08 Feb 2009 21:44

Navy redeploys Tabar in Gulf of Aden.

Nitesh · Post by **Nitesh** » 12 Feb 2009 17:31

UN empowers land operations against Somali pirates

The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution for the first time authorizing international land operations against audacious, armed pirates sheltering in Somalia.

In this photograph released by the Indian Navy, Indian Marine Commandos board a suspected pirate ship in the Gulf of Aden December 13. The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution for the first time authorizing international land operations against audacious, armed pirates sheltering in Somalia.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice hailed the adoption Tuesday of the US resolution saying it sent a "strong signal to combat the scourge of piracy" and stressed the need "to end the impunity of Somali pirates."

The text, co-sponsored by Belgium, France, Greece, Liberia and South Korea, gives those nations already involved in battling pirates off Somalia a one-year mandate to act against the brigands inside the country.

Resolution 1851 authorizes the states to "take all necessary measures that are appropriate in Somalia" to suppress "acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea."

However, to overcome objections from countries such as Indonesia an earlier reference in the text to "ashore" or "including in its (Somalia) airspace" was dropped.

Increasingly emboldened, pirates have carried out more than 100 attacks in the key shipping lanes of the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean since the start of this year.

Last month, they captured the world's attention when they hijacked the Saudi-owned super-tanker Sirius Star, carrying two million barrels of crude oil, and demanded a 25-million dollar ransom for the boat and its crew.

It is one of about 17 ships, including an arms-laden Ukrainian cargo vessel, currently in pirate hands.

Rice told the high-profile UN ministerial session that the US intended to work with partners to set up a contact group on Somali piracy, adding the insecurity and lawlessness in the Horn of Africa nation had to be urgently addressed.

Tuesday's resolution was the fourth approved by the council since June to combat the rampant piracy off Somalia's coast. And unlike previous resolutions, the current text empowers states combating piracy to conduct operations on land in Somalia.

But the Pentagon warned there were "practical challenges" to taking such action inside Somalia.

"We welcome the passing of the resolution. We will continue to work with our allies and partners to address this troublesome problem," said Bryan Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman.

He pointed out that US Defense Secretary Robert Gates had raised "some of the practical challenges associated with combating this illegal activity."

Rice also told the UN session attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, Chinese deputy foreign minister He Yafei and UN chief Ban Ki-moon, that it was time "to authorize a UN peacekeeping operation" in Somalia.

Ethiopian troops, who intervened in Somalia in 2006 to prop up the weak transitional government, will be withdrawn early next month, leaving the ill-equipped and under-strength 3,400-strong African Union force on its own to face a resurgent Islamic rebellion.

UN chief Ban welcomed the council's actions to combat Somali piracy and said he would submit recommendations "on ways to ensure the long-term security of international navigation off the coast of Somalia."

But he stressed the need to address the country's broader security challenge, saying the most appropriate response was "a multinational force (MNF), rather than a typical peacekeeping operation."

Ban said he had approached 50 countries and three international organizations for contributions to such a force.

Indonesia's UN Ambassador Marty Natalegawa meanwhile made clear that "the fight against piracy and armed robbery off the coast of Somalia needs to be undertaken in full compliance with international law, in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea."

Ban added the council could explore the possibility of setting up a maritime task force or adding to the current anti-piracy operations "a quick reaction component."

NATO has also dispatched naval forces to the region, joining other national navies in place, but increasingly bold and well-equipped pirates have continued their attacks.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asian/1 ... li-pirates

putnanja · Post by **putnanja** » 14 Feb 2009 08:41

US Navy saves Indian ship

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 25 Feb 2009 03:38

Nightwatch 23 Feb., 2009 says

Somalia pirates: Yesterday pirates seized MV Saldanha carrying coal in the Gulf of Aden, according to DryShips Inc., the owner. A security officer at the headquarters of the Athens-based firm said the ship had taken maximum security measures to avoid attack and followed all advice given by coalition military forces.

Saldanha was built in 2004, flies the Maltese flag and has a carrying capacity of 75,707 deadweight tons, Lloyd’s Register-Fairplay data on Bloomberg shows. The ship last visited the Thai port of Sriracha, according to AISLive ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. Before that, it was located off Australia.
.
This seizure could not occur without extensive support from corrupt shipping officials at ports ringing the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. The next step in the anti-piracy campaign is to start cleaning house in the port authorities. Somalia piracy is the action arm of an international criminal cartel.
...

The Thais show up again! Wonder if that sunk trawler was part of the pirates ops.

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 25 Feb 2009 04:39

Speaking of that company that owned the trawler....
Lured Into Bondage

Thailand's Sirichai Fisheries supports the U.S.-based Marine Stewardship Council and practices environmentally friendly fishing. But NEWSWEEK has interviewed four past crewmen on Sirichai vessels and seen written complaints to a Cambodian human-rights group from three others. All claim to have endured treatment that fits the ILO's definition of forced labor. They say they were trafficked into Thailand on tourist visas, forced to hand over their passports and compelled to board a boat bound for Africa even though the recruiter promised them cannery jobs in Thailand. "We thought we were finished," says Long Thorn, one of Sirichai's initial Cambodian recruits. "We didn't know how many years we were sold for. They lied to us."

The experience of forced labor offers shades of misery, as the stories of Long and his neighbor Chann Ham show. They were crewmates on a Sirichai voyage to Somalia in 2005. After the monthlong journey, they were assigned to separate fishing boats, each supplied every two months by a "mother ship" from Thailand. Long repaired nets, sorted fish and cleaned catches of tuna, shark and octopus, sleeping just four hours a day during peak times. After 27 months, he was re- turned home and paid $155 per month, less than the $190 he was promised, but enough to double the size of his family home and by a slick red motor scooter. Chann, racked by constant seasickness, tried to stow away on the mother ship but was forced back aboard his vessel by a Somali guard who, he claims, fired several live rounds between his legs. Ten months later Chann was shipped home and paid less than $500, or about $1.60 per day— enough only to buy a cow, and his father's disapproval. "The people who stayed had a lot of money when they came back, but [my son] couldn't stay," says Chann's father. "I don't know who to blame for this."

Absent clearly enforceable global rules, it is easy to pass the blame around. Sirichai's general manager, Wiriya Sirichai- Ekawat, admits there have been troubles with Cambodian recruits, but he blames labor brokers who were paid by Sirichai for their services in 2005 but were "not our people." Asked if the company's treatment of foreign employees amounted to slavery, he said: "We never do that." In an e-mail, the Thai company's managing director, Wicharn Sirichai-Ekawat, says Sirichai has only one policy: "To follow the law." He says Sirichai is the only Thai fishing company that does not use illegal labor. Chuop Narath, deputy director of employment and manpower in Cambodia's Ministry of Labor, says Sirichai's recruitment practices are illegal.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 27 Feb 2009 00:22

It might be a good idea to pick say 30 ships that were hijacked and trace their voyages prior to being hijacked. The ownership patterns, the cargoes, the ports of call prior to being in Somalia.

I have a hunch that some of the Thai nationals are in cahoots with the Somalis.

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 15 Mar 2009 17:20

Japan ships join piracy patrols

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 15 Mar 2009 22:11

ramana wrote:It might be a good idea to pick say 30 ships that were hijacked and trace their voyages prior to being hijacked. The ownership patterns, the cargoes, the ports of call prior to being in Somalia.

I have a hunch that some of the Thai nationals are in cahoots with the Somalis.

ramana ji,

A lot of the smalltime ship owners sometimes run insurance scams,
others quietly repaint, rename and sell the ship, stealing of cargo and running contraband is also common.

The pirates are sometimes used as a catchall reason to pull wool over everyones eyes. This is a scam and the pirates are specifically financed before every strike. Boats, weapons, food, diesel, communication gear and experienced manpower are not cheap.

Doubtless the somalis are in cahoots not only with the thais but almost everyone else on the coast will be cut in for a share if they provide useful info.

Business as usual.

entrepreneurship is thriving and profits are rising.
Who except the owners know the exact ransom paid?
A smart owner can salt away quite a bit in the number two account.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 26 Mar 2009 01:22

Nightwatch 3/23/09

Somali pirate patrol: Cargo ships from Japan, Greece and Hong Kong came under fire from pirates off the cost of Somalia, but no one was injured and the pirates fled after the ships took evasive maneuvers, The Associated Press reported today. The pirates reportedly fired rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons in the 22 March incidents.

Pirates in two small boats sustained a 30-minute attack against the Hong Kong ship and fired at the Greek bulk carrier an hour later, according to the head of the International Maritime Bureau’s piracy reporting center in Kuala Lumpur. The Japanese ship was attacked four hours after the Greek ship came under fire.

The official, Noel Choong, said the attacks appeared to come from the same group of pirates and showed they now operate from southern Somalia. However, he also noted that the operations of pirates -- who he depicted as “quite desperate now” and trying to halt ships by firing at them -- are concentrated along Somalia’s eastern and northern coasts, where there are fewer naval patrols.

The Press Trust of India reported an Indian Navy statement of concern that the Somali pirates now have acquired shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles (MANPADs). If confirmed, the connections and resources that would enable Somalis to acquire MANPADs from the international gray arms market would signify they are a much more organized and serious threat than simple Somali clansmen trying to provide for their families.

Of greater tactical significance, the use of rapid response teams flown in helicopters has been key tactic responsible for putting the pirates on the defensive. MANPADs would increase the risks and tend to neutralize that modern advantage

Can we have a volunteer fro this thread to collate Indian navy ops and statements please?
I find it odd that no one has posted the PTI report yet.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 31 Mar 2009 18:04

Piracy growing.

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/ ... d=tsmodule

Despite Naval Patrols, Somalia's Pirates are Busier Than Ever
By Nick Wadhams / Nairobi Tuesday, Mar. 31, 2009The Norwegian-owned MV Bow-Asir is one of two vessels that have been hijacked by Somali pirates.

Facebook Yahoo! BuzzTwitter Linkedin Permalink Reprints Related Just when shipping companies thought it was safe to go back into the water — off the Horn of Africa in particular — Somali pirates last week nabbed two large chemical tankers within 24 hours, despite the presence of a bevy of Western and other navies prowling in search of the buccaneers.

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Defending Against the Pirates

The Greek-owned MV Nipayia was snagged last Wednesday, followed within a day by the capture of the Norwegian-owned MV Bow-Asir. The attacks, which occurred at 380 and 490 nautical miles offshore, showed a willingness by pirates to operate at great distances from their lairs along the Somali coastline. While international navies have heralded the successes of their antipiracy patrols of recent months, last week's captures — and the piracy statistics for the past three months — don't offer much cause for comfort to the shipping industry. Last year, according to a U.N. report, there were 111 attacks on shipping in the Gulf of Aden corridor, which marked a 200% increase over the previous year's figures. Now, despite the presence of ships from more than 20 of the world's navies in the Gulf of Aden, the International Maritime Bureau says there have been 51 attacks in the first three months of the year alone. And the international shipping association BIMCO says piracy attacks have spread to ships traveling nowhere near the Gulf of Aden. (See pictures of Somalia's pirates at work)

"Indeed, very recent events would seem to confirm BIMCO's worst fears," the group said of the latest attacks in a recent advisory to its members. The American Forces Press Service later filed a story quoting an anonymous U.S. official as saying that the wider field of attack on which the pirates are now operating presents "a monumental challenge" to antipiracy efforts.

Still, analysts and antipiracy advocates see some reasons for optimism. While the number of attacks has gone up, their rate of success at actually seizing control of vessels has declined. In December of last year, one in every five attacks was successful; the data for March suggests that only one in every 10 pirate raids succeeded. (See pictures of the lives of Somali pirates)

The lower success rate, according to Michael Howlett, divisional director for the International Maritime Bureau in London, "is due to the naval presence and also the ships know this is a high-risk area, and they have certain [countermeasures] in place."

More sobering, though, is the possibility that many of the attacks failed because of the bad weather that is typical in the region during the first three months of the year. Attacks off Somalia typically increase in the second quarter of the year, as sailing conditions improve.

The rising incidence of attacks is a clear indication that the pirates are as powerful as ever onshore in Somalia, and are growing bolder and more determined as a result of such high-profile ransom payments as the ones that secured the release of the oil tanker Sirius Star and the freighter MV Faina, which had been carrying battle tanks bound for Kenya.

The U.N. report also highlighted just how difficult fighting Somali piracy will be, by confirming suspicions that the pirates are almost certainly in league with what passes for the government in the breakaway Somali region of Puntland. "It is widely acknowledged that some of these groups now rival established Somali authorities in terms of their military capabilities and resource," U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon wrote in the report. Not that Somalia has much by way of "established authorities" to speak of. That's why some of the navies that have captured pirates trying to seize shipping have handed the suspects over to Kenya, which has agreements with the United States and the United Kingdom to try piracy suspects.

As international efforts to protect shipping around the Gulf of Aden have grown, so have the pirates adapted their tactics. Andrew Mwangura, head of the East African Seafarers Assistance Program, notes that the pirates are moving their operations further south along the East African coast to avoid the international warships. Sailors are also becoming concerned about greater levels of danger to themselves: In the past, the crews of hijacked ships were relatively sure they'd survive the ordeal precisely because the pirates were so invincible — all the captives had to do was remain calm and cooperative while the shipping company negotiated the ransom. But now that pirates are being confronted, and sometimes arrested or killed, by foreign navies, Mwangura says the pirates are using more force and the danger to their hostages has increased.

"They are coming to be more violent than they were in the past," Mwangura tells TIME. "I think they have changed their modus operandi. Now they realize it's do or die."

adityaS · Post by **adityaS** » 31 Mar 2009 18:15

ramana sir, from Reuters of Oct 2008

The pirates are said to be using MANPADS (Man Portable Air Defense Systems) and rocket propelled grenades during their attacks. They also have GPS systems and satellite phones.

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 04 Apr 2009 17:25

One killed as navy vessel sinks Somali pirate ship

At least one Somali pirate was killed and two others wounded after a naval vessel patrolling the Indian Ocean fired on their boat and destroyed their mother ship, witnesses said Thursday.
Local fishermen in the pirate den of Harardhere in northern Somalia said the incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon, but the naval vessel was unknown.

But the US Navy Fifth Fleet command and the European naval mission off the pirate-infested Somali coast said they had no information regarding the sinking of a pirate mother ship.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 08 Apr 2009 17:44

Latest news,US container ship seized and 20 US hostages taken! Past time for blitzing the pirate stronghold at Eyl and time for the "O team" to show its teeth.I suggest B-52 strikes from Diego Garcia and an amphibious assault afterwards on the port to flatten every single building,plus mining of the harbour until the legitimate govt. of the land takes control.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... board.html

Somali pirates seize US cargo ship with 20 Americans on board
An American-operated container ship and its entire 20-member US crew were hijacked by Somali pirates early on Wednesday.

By Mike Pflanz in Nairobi and Colin Freeman

putnanja · Post by **putnanja** » 08 Apr 2009 22:13

Pentagon says crew retake US ship from pirates

NAIROBI, Kenya – Pentagon officials said Wednesday that the American crew of a U.S.-flagged cargo ship had retaken control from Somali pirates who hijacked the vessel far off the Horn of Africa.

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A U.S. official said the crew had retaken control and had one pirate in custody.

"The crew is back in control of the ship," a U.S. official said at midday, speaking on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak on the record. "It's reported that one pirate is on board under crew control — the other three were trying to flee," the official said. The status of the other pirates was unknown, the official said, but they were reported to "be in the water."

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Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 10 Apr 2009 19:32

Pirate ships converge on US hostage at sea

Escalating a dramatic Indian Ocean standoff, more U.S. warships — as well as pirate reinforcements with an international gallery of hostages — rushed Friday toward the spot where four Somali bandits are holding a U.S. sea captain aboard a drifting lifeboat.
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using Russian, German, Filipino and other hostages captured in recent days as human shields.
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"The pirates have summoned assistance — skiffs and motherships are heading towards the area from the coast," said a Nairobi-based diplomat, who spoke on condition on anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media. "We knew they were gathering yesterday."

Samaw said two ships left Eyl on Wednesday afternoon. A third sailed from Haradhere, another pirate base in central Somalia, and the fourth one was a Taiwanese fishing vessel seized Monday that was already only 30 miles (48 kilometers) from the lifeboat.

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 11 Apr 2009 23:27

Somali pirates seize another boat

But what is curious is:

Sailors on a Panama-flagged bulk carrier repulsed a pirate attack with water hoses. Nato officials on a nearby Portuguese warship said an unexploded rocket-propelled grenade landed in the commanding officer's cabin

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 12 Apr 2009 23:28

US captain released from pirates

three pirates were killed in the operation to free Captain Richard Phillips. Another is in custody.

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 12 Apr 2009 23:54

US Captain freed, 3 Pirates dead, 1 in custody.
Good work.

Shameek · Post by **Shameek** » 13 Apr 2009 06:53

US Navy SEAL snipers on the fantail of the USS Bainbridge helped the rescue. The pirates have promised retaliation for the loss of their men.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/piracy

putnanja · Post by **putnanja** » 13 Apr 2009 07:22

In Rescue of Captain, Navy Kills 3 Pirates

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Two of the captors had poked their heads out of a rear hatch of the lifeboat, exposing themselves to clear shots, and the third could be seen through a window in the bow, pointing an automatic rifle at the captain, who was tied up inside the 18-foot lifeboat, senior Navy officials said.

It took only three remarkable shots — one each by snipers firing from a distance at dusk, using night-vision scopes, the officials said. Within minutes, Seals in a small craft rowed up to the lifeboat, climbed aboard, found the three pirates dead and untied Captain Phillips, ending the contretemps at sea that had riveted much of the world’s attention. A fourth pirate had surrendered earlier.
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pretty clean operation!

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 13 Apr 2009 08:56

Whats interesting is that the lifeboat was being towed by USS Bainbridge! The pirates had been set up all along and I think the FBI also deserves a lot of praise on how they adviced the US Navy.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 13 Apr 2009 13:25

tricky shots due to sea movement, but the distance is said to be 80ft only. for a well trained sf sniper that is a easy distance using scopes and bipods.