RN Thwarts Pirates

In Red Sea, Horn of Africa and Gulf of Aden

The previous page was: "Pirate Attacks 2"

RN Thwarts Pirates; The modern-day pirates are capturing International World Food Aid ships for their contents which are easy to sell in port.

They are also hijacking every type of vessel they can get their hands on to sell or hold to ransom as they choose.

In the first two months of existence the European Task Group has achieved success at thwarting the pirates. With the help of the winter weather and the presence of EU warships they are holding those pirates at bay.

They have staved off fifty pirates attacks during that period; allowing 43,000 tons of food aid to be delivered; feeding some two and a half million people for one month.

With Royal Naval warships like H.M.S. Cumberland, H.M.S. Northumberland, H.M.S. Kent and H.M.S. Portland, the Royal Navy is leading the European task force in the Red Sea off of the coast of Somalia.

There is a presence of two Royal Navy warships and four other warships from the European Community; they have a contingent of six warships. This is the first operation under the Brussels banner; this is at least a long awaited start.

Pirate Attacks 2

Pirates who have the latest fast boats

Hardly enough from a community the size of Europe, to deal with modern-day pirates who have the latest fast boats and equipment and the pirates steal a great number of European vessels. Sometimes to me it is hard to understand some of the European priorities?

The head of the European Naval Force Somalia, Rear-Admiral Philip Jones says: "the concerted effort to guillotine pirates' activity in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean has made a difference."

But the Admiral warns that the pirate threat is far from over-a fact underlined by the seizure of the German tanker 'Longchamp' at the end of January 2009. Longchamp was a victim of an industry which made an estimated twenty million pounds last year, from hijacking merchantmen and holding ships crews as hostages for ransom.

RN Thwarts Pirates; The number of Pirate attacks doubled in 2008 on the previous year. The Forces principle mission is to ensure the World Food Program ships safely reach port in Somalia; two fifths of the country's populace relies on these handouts.

The World Food Programs mission

The World Food Programs mission is a worthy cause but it only accounts for the tiniest fraction of shipping in the region. Twenty-Thousand ships pass through the Gulf of Aden each year. It is here, where the traffic is heaviest that the pirates have struck repeatedly.

The brigands care not for nationality or even cargo; they have seized a Chinese fishing vessel, a Ukrainian military transport ship, a Turkish tanker, a number of bulk carriers and many other vessels. They care only for money-ransom money.

A new coalition group know as Command Task Force 150 has been formed, their warships are from all around the globe; Japan, United States, EU, Malaysia, Russia, China and many others.

China's warships have not sailed in these waters for over fifty-years. All have a common goal even if they all have a different approach, different masters, and go about it in slightly different ways.

Modern-day pages Fast Boats Pages Joe Wezley Pages

Both the Royal Navy warships have

The most significant gathering of navies working together is historical; it has never been heard of before. But the pirates' realm is vast, all in all the piracy danger area covers 1.1 million square miles of Ocean.

Because of the size of the area there are still not enough warships to guarantee the safety for all merchant shipping, nor are there enough warships to run convoys, in all of the danger zones.

Both the Royal Navy warships have Royal Marines Commando Boarding Parties. They rapid rope (abseil) down from 815 Naval Assault Lynx helicopters onto suspect ships; this is part of a two pronged attack the other boarding party arriving by RIBS, fast boats.

Morally the campaign against piracy is a black and white affair. Pirates = bad. Stopping them = good.

If only the reality was that simple. For a start who is responsible for Britain's piracy policy? The Royal Navy? Customs? Coastguard? Foreign Office? Guess what? It's the Department of Transport.

Pirates are not the only targets, there are drug runners out there and lots of them all doing regular runs, there are other bad criminals also, people smugglers and terrorists, all trying to avoid detection by any means.

Modern-day Pirates are armed to the teeth

Modern-day Pirates are armed to the teeth, up-to-date with the latest information, and computer technology, and they are organised with a strong leader. Their base is usually a mother ship that can carry or tow their smaller but very fast boats.

They have come a long way from when they would put six outboard motors on a boat; they now have access to very fast boats that are difficult to catch on the water by another boat.

But then so has the Royal Navy with their Lynx Assault Helicopters with Commando snipers on board.

No longer do they shoot the driver of the boat; dead people don't talk. The Commando snipers shoot out the engines leaving the boat lifeless but the crew alive to explain their dubious actions. Their boat and contents is then detained and held as evidence

RN Thwarts Pirates Somalian Pirates

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