DTN News: Russian Special Forces Storm Oil Tanker, Free Ship

DTN News: Russian Special Forces Storm Oil Tanker, Free Ship

Source: DTN News (Archive)

(NSI News Source Info) ABOARD THE HSwMS CARLSKRONA - May 22, 2010: Russian special forces rappelled onto a disabled oil tanker taken over by Somali pirates, freeing 23 Russian sailors and arresting the pirates during a dawn raid Thursday, the commander of the EU Naval Force said. The raid against the Liberian-flagged ship Moscow University came 24 hours after pirates had taken the ship over and the crew locked itself in a safe room. The vessel is carrying 86,000 tons of crude oil worth about $50 million. The special forces had been aboard the Russian anti-submarine destroyer Marshal Shaposhnikov, which rushed to the scene after Wednesday's attack. The special forces boarded a helicopter and rappelled down to the Moscow University, Rear Adm. Jan Thornqvist, force commander of the EU Naval Force, told The Associated Press. Shots were fired during the raid but no one was injured, Thornqvist said. Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Col. Alexei Kuznetsov said the pirates are being held aboard the tanker. Russian news agencies reported the death of one pirate during the raid, but Kuznetsov told AP that information was still being looked into. The crew of the Moscow University had previously told officials they believed the pirates were trying to enter the engine room, Thornqvist said. The ship had been disabled and was not moving. Safe rooms, where crews seek shelter, are typically stocked with food, water and communications equipment and have reinforced doors that can only be opened from the inside. The ship's owner, Novoship, said in a statement that the decision to free the ship was made knowing "that the crew was under safe cover inaccessible to the pirates and that the lives and health of the sailors was not threatened by anything." Cmdr. John Harbour, a spokesman for the EU Naval Force, called the rescue "an excellent operation all around." He said the EU Naval Force had been working at a tactical level with the Russians, and that EU Naval Force personnel talked to the Russian crew by VHF radio. He said the EU had offered support to the Russians. The attack occurred about 500 miles (800 kilometers) east of the Somali coast. The ship was not registered with the Maritime Security Center, said Harbour. The ship's route was from the Red Sea to China, the ship's owner said. Novoship is a subsidiary of Sovcomflot, which is owned by the Russian government. The fact that Russian special forces stormed the Moscow University shortly after it was taken over is in line with a trend by international military forces who are more aggressively combating piracy. In February, Danish special forces prevented the hijacking of a ship after pirates had boarded it. Special forces from the Danish Absalon boarded the Ariella while the crew locked themselves in a secure room. EU Naval Force ships are disrupting pirate groups and destroying their ships at a much higher rate than in previous years. U.S. warships have fired back on pirates and destroyed their boats in several skirmishes in the last several weeks. Pirates currently hold more than 300 hostages taken from ships attacked off East Africa in the last several months. Eleven suspected Somali pirates were indicted in U.S. federal court late last month, but the international community has had problems formulating an accepted policy to try and jail pirate suspects. Along with the increased pressure by international navies against pirates has come some criticism. On Wednesday, a French prosecutor said a French rescuer was responsible for killing the skipper of a sailboat hijacked by Somali pirates during a rescue operation. Chief prosecutor Hever Pavy in the western French city of Rennes said investigators found a French military bullet had killed Florent Lemacon in April 2009 when a special intervention team came to rescue his yacht, the Tanit, off the Somali coast. Four other hostages were saved after a week on the hijacked ship. Three suspected pirates who survived the rescue operation are on trial in France.

DTN News: Russian Warship To Escort 5 Merchant Vessels In Gulf Of Aden

DTN News: Russian Warship To Escort 5 Merchant Vessels In Gulf Of Aden

Source: DTN News / RIA Novosti

(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW, Russia - May 19, 2010: Russia's Marshal Shaposhikov destroyer will escort a convoy of five commercial ships through pirate-infested waters off the Somali coast, the Defense Ministry said on Tuesday. "The convoy will consist of five vessels and the Russian warship will ensure their safe passage," a spokesman for the Defense Ministry said. The Russian Pacific Fleet task force comprising the Marshal Shaposhnikov, the MB-37 salvage tug and the Pechenga tanker arrived in the Gulf of Aden on March 29 to join the anti-piracy mission in the region. Navy commandos from the Marshal Shaposhnikov freed the Russian Moscow University tanker during a 22-minute operation on May 6. Ten attackers were detained and one was killed. None of the crew members was injured. The Marshal Shaposhnikov made a port call in Djibouti on Monday where it replenished food and water supplies. The Russian Navy will use the Djibouti port, located in the Horn of Africa, as its temporary base for anti-piracy operations in the region. The current task force is the fourth group of warships from the Russian Pacific Fleet engaged in the anti-piracy mission off Somalia, with the previous three task forces led by the Admiral Vinogradov, Admiral Panteleyev and the Admiral Tributs destroyers. The Northern and Baltic fleets have also sent task forces to the region.

Related News Operation to free Russian tanker from Somali pirates lasted 22 minutes (WRAPUP 5) Russian tanker freed from Somali pirates, crew unscathed Somali pirates seize Russian tanker in Gulf of Aden Somali pirates extend range of attacks on commercial ships

Multimedia Photo: The return of the Pacific Fleet’s task force from the Gulf of Aden Photo: Russian Pacific Fleet ships return from anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden Infographics: Modern day pirates. INFOgraphics.

DTN News: Russian Warship Starts Patrol Of Somali Waters

DTN News: Russian Warship Starts Patrol Of Somali Waters *Source: DTN News / RIA Novosti (NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW, Russia - January 26, 2010: A Russian frigate, the Neustrashimy, has started a patrol mission in the pirate-infested area off the Horn of Africa and the Gulf of Aden, a Russian Navy spokesman said. "The Neustrashimy crew has started its mission to protect shipping routes and fight piracy. It has successfully escorted a convoy of commercial vessels through the dangerous areas of the Gulf of Aden and the Horn of Africa," the spokesman said. He added that the convoy consisted of 12 vessels under different flags. "Some of the crews included Russians," he said. The Neustrashimy has replaced the Admiral Chabanenko destroyer and is currently fulfilling its second mission in the area. The Neustrashimy has already completed one anti-piracy mission in February 2009. The frigate's armament includes SS-N-25 Switchblade anti-ship missiles, SA-N-9 Gauntlet SAM, a 100-mm gun, torpedoes and depth charges. The frigate also carries a Ka-27 ASW helicopter. The Russian Navy has maintained a permanent presence off the Horn of Africa, with warships operating on a rotation basis. Russia joined international anti-piracy efforts off the Somali coast in October 2008. Pirates based in Somalia, which has been without an effective government since 1991, hijacked more than 35 vessels in 2009, and have already seized two this year.

DTN News: New Russian Navy Task Force To Patrol Somali Waters

DTN News: New Russian Navy Task Force To Patrol Somali Waters *Source: DTN News / RIA Novosti (NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW, Russia - January 12, 2010: A new task force from Russia's Baltic Fleet will join international efforts to fight piracy off the Horn of Africa, a Russian Navy spokesman said on Tuesday. The task force led by the Neustrashimy (Fearless) frigate will replace the Admiral Chabanenko destroyer from Russia's Northern Fleet, the spokesman said, adding that Russian warships would continue regular patrols near the Horn of Africa and the Gulf of Aden in 2010. "This is due to continued pirate attacks on peaceful civilian vessels, and also a real threat for sailors who are Russian nationals," the spokesman said. The Neustrashimy completed an anti-piracy mission in February 2009. The upcoming deployment will be the Neustrashimy's second tour. The frigate's armament includes SS-N-25 Switchblade anti-ship missiles, SA-N-9 Gauntlet SAM, a 100-mm gun, torpedoes and depth charges. The frigate also carries a Ka-27 ASW helicopter. The Russian task force comprising the Admiral Chabanenko and a support ship arrived in the Gulf of Aden in late November for Russia's anti-piracy mission. The Russian Navy has maintained a constant presence off the Horn of Africa, with each fleet dispatching warships on a rotational basis. Russia joined international anti-piracy efforts off the Somali coast in October 2008. Pirates based in Somalia, which has been without an effective government since 1991, hijacked more than 35 vessels in 2009, and have already seized two this year.

DTN News: NATO May Deploy Awacs Plane To Fight Pirates, Di Paola Says

DTN News: NATO May Deploy Awacs Plane To Fight Pirates, Di Paola Says *Source: DTN News / Int'l News By James G. Neuger & James G. Neuger in Brussels (NSI News Source Info) BRUSSELS, Belgium - December 16, 2009: NATO may deploy an Awacs radar plane to hunt pirates in the seas off Somalia as attacks on merchant ships spread further into the Indian Ocean, the head of the alliance’s military committee said. The E-3 airborne warning and control system (AWACS) is built by Boeing Defense & Space Group. The role of the E-3 is to carry out airborne surveillance, and command, control and communications (C3) functions for both tactical and air defence forces. Commanders are seeking to back up a five-ship counterpiracy task force with one of the airborne warning and control system surveillance planes, possibly sharing it with the allied International Security Assistance Force fighting in Afghanistan. “It would not be inconceivable, for example, having a dual use of Awacs maybe located somewhere in the region and being able to perform missions for ISAF and missions for counterpiracy,” Italian Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola, the committee chairman, said in a Bloomberg Television interview in Brussels today. Stalked by warships from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the European Union and countries including Russia and China, pirates operating from safe havens in Somalia are ranging as far as 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometers) out to sea to prey on merchant vessels. Pirates struck 147 times off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden during the first nine months of 2009, up from 63 attacks in the year-earlier period, the International Maritime Bureau said. A tenth of the world’s trade passes through that sea corridor. Somalia’s lack of an effective government after almost two decades of civil war has turned it into a base for gangs that seize commercial ships. Pirates often hold them for ransom, as when they extorted $2.8 million for the release of the 24 Ukrainian crew members of a British-owned bulk carrier last week after a seven-month ordeal. NATO Task Force Warships from the U.S., Italy, Portugal and Canada make up the current NATO task force, cobbled together from a group that is normally used for routine exercises and port visits. Known as “eyes in the sky,” the Awacs are modified Boeing 707s topped with a rotating dome housing radar equipment. NATO’s 17-plane Awacs fleet, managed by crews from 15 countries, is based in Geilenkirchen, Germany. Use of the Awacs in a conflict zone requires unanimous approval by the 28 NATO allies. It took months for NATO last year to approve the deployment of Awacs over Afghanistan to monitor the increasingly crowded airspace there. The Awacs request for the piracy mission “has just come in so I would feel the discussion will start the beginning of next year,” said Di Paola, whose committee consists of high- ranking officers from all NATO countries. ‘Not for Free’ “Deploying an Awacs costs money, it’s not for free,” Di Paola, 65, said. “There will be some serious discussion up to which point this can be done.” Di Paola rebutted concerns that there is a lack of coordination between the NATO and EU anti-piracy task forces and solo ships from other countries. The EU’s six-frigate force may start patrolling further into the Indian Ocean as pirate activity widens, U.K. Rear Admiral Peter Hudson, commander of the EU mission, said in an interview last week. NATO ships have chased sea bandits as far as the approaches to the Seychelles islands, and the various fleets have working arrangements to divide up their zone of coverage depending on where the pirates are, Di Paola said. “There is a lot of maritime space over there,” Di Paola said. “The pirates are responding in an intelligent way, moving wherever they think there’s a lack of presence. If NATO forces for a certain period are more concentrated on the Gulf of Aden, this allows the European Union to move away.”

DTN News: Russia, China Conduct Anti-Piracy Exercises In Gulf of Aden

DTN News: Russia, China Conduct Anti-Piracy Exercises In Gulf of Aden *Source: DTN News / RIA Novosti

(NSI News Source Info) VLADIVOSTOK, Russia - September 20, 2009: Russian and Chinese warships have begun live firing drills in the Gulf of Aden as part of anti-piracy exercises, a Pacific Fleet official said on Friday. The three-day exercises will include Russia's Admiral Tributs destroyer and two Chinese warships, the Zhoushan and Xuzhou, along with a number of support vessels, and will focus on seek and detain operations. "A new element in these exercises will be the search, location and detention of a dummy pirate vessel," the official told RIA Novosti. After the exercises end on September 20, the Russian warship will resume its work to escort commercial vessels through waters off the Somali coast. The third Russian task force from the Pacific Fleet, led by the Admiral Tributs with two helicopters on board, arrived in the Gulf of Aden on July 30. The previous two task forces from the Pacific Fleet were led by the Admiral Vinogradov and Admiral Panteleyev destroyers. The fleet's warships have escorted over 100 Russian and foreign commercial ships and thwarted several attacks by pirates since January 2009. The Pacific Fleet will send a fourth task force, comprising a missile destroyer, two support ships and a naval infantry unit, to the Gulf of Aden after Admiral Tributs finishes its current anti-piracy mission in the region at the end of October. Around 35 warships from the navies of 16 countries are currently deployed off Somalia's coast to counter frequent pirate attacks on key trade routes. Pirate attacks on commercial vessels in the Gulf of Aden and off the east coast of Somalia have amounted to 148 since the beginning of the year, with over 40 ships captured and at least 270 taken hostage.

DTN News: Russian Warships Escort Another Convoy In The Gulf of Aden

DTN News: Russian Warships Escort Another Convoy In The Gulf of Aden

*Source: DTN News / RIA Novosti

(NSI News Source Info) VLADIVOSTOK, Russia - August 22, 2009: A Russian Pacific Fleet task force is escorting its third convoy of commercial ships in the Gulf of Aden since its arrival in the area in late July, a fleet spokesman said on Friday. The task force - comprising the Admiral Tributs destroyer with two helicopters, a salvage tug, a tanker, and a naval infantry unit - escorts commercial ships, conducts aerial reconnaissance, and searches suspected pirate vessels. "A third convoy of commercial ships was formed on Thursday and is moving along the Gulf of Aden under the escort of the Russian warships," the spokesman said. The Russian Navy joined international anti-piracy efforts off Somali coast in October 2008. Three Russian warships have so far participated in the mission - the Baltic Fleet's Neustrashimy (Fearless) frigate, and the Pacific Fleet's Admiral Vinogradov and Admiral Panteleyev destroyers. "The warships from the Pacific Fleet have successfully escorted over 100 Russian and foreign commercial ships since January 2009. They have thwarted several attacks by pirates," the official said. Around 35 warships from the navies of 16 countries are currently deployed off Somalia's coast to counter frequent pirate attacks on key trade routes. Pirate attacks on commercial vessels in the Gulf of Aden and off the east coast of Somalia have amounted to 130 since the beginning of the year, with 44 ships captured and at least 270 people held as hostages.

China To Rotate Warships In Anti-Piracy Operation Off Somalia

China To Rotate Warships In Anti-Piracy Operation Off Somalia

(NSI News Source Info) BEIJING - April 2, 2009: China sent two warships to the Gulf of Aden on Thursday morning to replace two destroyers involved in an operation against Somali pirates since late December, Chinese media reported. The Type 051B Luhai-class is a class of destroyer built by the People's Republic of China. It consists of only one ship, No.167 Shenzhen. When Shenzhen was commissioned into the People's Liberation Army Navy in 1998, it was then, the largest surface combatant that China had ever built. It resembles in many ways an enlarged version of the Luhu class destroyer, and is one of the first PLAN ships with a slope-sided hull to reduce radar signature. The DD-167 Shenzhen destroyer and the FFG-570 Huangshan frigate are carrying two helicopters, missiles, and about 800 crew members, including a naval special force unit, the Xinhua news agency said. China's Weishanhu supply ship will remain in the Gulf of Aden. Around 20 warships from the navies of at least a dozen countries are involved in anti-piracy operations off Somalia. According to the United Nations, Somali pirates carried out at least 120 attacks on ships in 2008, resulting in combined ransom payouts of around $150 million. Russia sent a task force from its Pacific Fleet on Sunday to relieve warships involved in the anti-piracy operation near Somalia since the beginning of January.

Russian Destroyer Visits Indonesia

Russian Destroyer Visits Indonesia

(NSI News Source Info) JAKARTA - March 25, 2009: Russia's Admiral Vinogradov destroyer arrived on Tuesday in Indonesia on an official visit following a three-month tour of duty in the Gulf of Aden. The destroyer, accompanied by the Boris Butoma tanker, is on its way to the home base in Vladivostok after participating in anti-piracy operations off the Somali coast. "During the mission, we escorted 12 convoys with a total of 54 ships from 17 countries and thwarted several pirate attacks on various vessels," said Capt. 1st Rank Sergei Ryazanov. "We also detained several pirates in the patrol area and handed them over to the Yemeni authorities," the officer said. The visit to Indonesia will last until Saturday, followed by a similar visit to the Chinese port of Zhanjiang on April 6-10. The Admiral Vinogradov is an Udaloy class missile destroyer, armed with anti-ship missiles, 30-mm and 100-mm guns, and Ka-27 Helix helicopters.

Japan Must Build Defence Capability: PM

Japan Must Build Defence Capability: PM

(NSI News Source Info) YOKOSUKA, Japan - March 23, 2009: Japan must build its defence capabilities and strengthen its alliance with the United States, Prime Minister Taro Aso said on Sunday, ahead of a planned rocket launch by North Korea. Japan has one of the world's best-funded armed forces. The Japan Self-Defense Forces, or JSDF, occasionally referred to as JSF or SDF, are the military forces in Japan that were established after the end of the post-World War II US occupation of Japan. For most of the post-war period the forces were confined to the islands of Japan and not permitted to be deployed abroad. In recent years, they have been engaged in international peacekeeping operations. Recent tensions, particularly with North Korea and China, have reignited the debate over the status of the SDF and its relation to society. Aso cited the threat from North Korea, which has announced plans to launch a communications satellite next month in a move seen by the United States, Japan and South Korea as a cover for a long-range missile test. "You must be well aware that we face many issues in the Asia-Pacific region, including North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile development," Aso told students at a graduation ceremony at the National Defense Academy. "For us to assure peace and stability in Japan, it is extremely important to further strengthen the Japan-US alliance as well as to make its own efforts for self defence." Under its US-imposed 1947 pacifist constitution, Japan renounced using or threatening force in international disputes. It nonetheless has one of the world's best-funded militaries, the Self-Defence Forces (SDF). Japan is developing a missile defence system with the United States. The government has said it is considering re-positioning land and sea-based interceptor missiles so they can shoot down a North Korean rocket if it threatens to hit its territory. Pyongyang has said it would regard interception as an act of war. Earlier this month the conservative Aso sent two Japanese warships for an anti-piracy mission off Somalia in which the nation's armed forces could face combat abroad for the first time since World War II.

Russian Destroyer Heads Home After Somali Anti-Piracy Mission

Russian Destroyer Heads Home After Somali Anti-Piracy Mission

(NSI News Source Info) VLADIVOSTOK - March 17, 2009: Russia's Admiral Vinogradov destroyer and the Boris Butoma tanker have completed their anti-piracy mission around the Horn of Africa and are on their way home, Russia's Pacific Fleet press service said on Tuesday. The ships from Russia's Pacific Fleet have been involved in the anti-piracy operation off the Somali coast since the beginning of January and are heading to Indonesia, where they will visit the port of Jakarta on March 24-28 before returning to their main base in Vladivostok. Earlier a Navy spokesman said that the Admiral Panteleyev destroyer would set sail from Vladivostok in April to take part in the anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden. Both warships are Udaloy class missile destroyers, armed with anti-ship missiles, 30-mm and 100-mm guns, and Ka-27 Helix helicopters. According to the UN, Somali pirates carried out at least 120 attacks on ships in 2008, resulting in combined ransom payouts of around $150 million. Around 20 warships from the navies of at least a dozen countries, including Russia, India, the United States, China and Arab states are involved in anti-piracy operations off Somalia, which has been ravaged by years of civil war. Somalia's new unity government plans to tackle the problem of piracy by creating a maritime corridor through the country's territorial waters with international

South Korean Navy To Deploy For Somalia Mission

South Korean Navy To Deploy For Somalia Mission

(NSI News Source Info) SEOUL - March 4, 2009: South Korea's Navy will send an anti-piracy unit to the Somalia littorals within weeks, its first overseas combat deployment, service officials said March 3. The announcement followed the National Assembly's March 2 endorsement of a motion for deployment. It also followed days of rehearsal operations by the new unit, named Cheonghae, in the waters off the southern port city of Busan. Chungmugong Yi Sunshin class destroyers are multipurpose destroyers of the Republic of Korea Navy. The lead ship of this class, ROKS Chungmugong Yi Sunshin, was launched in May 2002 and commissioned in December 2003. Chungmugong Yi Sunshin class destroyers are a part of the Republic of Korea Navy's shipbuilding program named "KDX-II", which paved the way for becoming a blue-water navy. The design of the hull was designed by Hyundai Heavy Industries and the first ship built by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering. The Korean contingent includes a 4,500-ton KDX-II destroyer, a Lynx anti-submarine helicopter, rigid inflatable speedboats and 300 personnel, including 30 Underwater Demolition Team/SEAL forces. An explosive ordnance disposal team will also join the contingent. During its planned six-month deployment, the unit will focus on escorting South Korean commercial ships through the Gulf of Aden, an effort to protect the nation's economic interests, said Cmdr. Yoo Young-shik, chief of the Navy's public affairs office. If required, it will also monitor, inspect, stop and seize pirates' vessels as part of the Combined Task Force 151, a multinational naval task force with logistics facilities at Djibouti under the command of the Combined Forces Maritime Component Command based in Bahrain, Yoo said. The task force is responsible for maritime security from the Red Sea down the east coast of Africa and into the Arabian Sea toward Pakistan and India. Currently, the efforts to clamp down on piracy in the troubled waters include about 21 warships and five aircraft from Britain, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Greece, Germany, India, Malaysia, and the United States. South Korean officials express confidence in the Navy's counterpiracy operations, citing the service's close-range combat skills accrued from decades of training to thwart North Korean ships. The KDX-II destroyer is equipped with an Mk. 45 127mm gun, Harpoon ship-to-surface missiles, RAM Mk 31 ship-to-air guided missiles, a 30mm Goalkeeper system for engaging sea-skimming anti-ship missiles and torpedoes. Built in 2003, the 150-meter-long, 17-meter-wide ship has a top speed of 29 knots. South Korean cargo ships have also been hijacked in recent years. Somali pirates held eight crewmembers of two Dongwon Fisheries tuna ships for four months before releasing them in 2006 for a ransom of $800. Two Daechang Fishing boats were hijacked in May last year, and their 25 crewmembers were released six months later. In September, pirates kidnapped a cargo vessel carrying eight South Korean and 13 Myanmar crewmembers, releasing them the following month after the ship's owner paid a ransom. The Somali pirates reportedly run sophisticated operations using high-tech equipment such as satellite phones and GPS receivers. They are known to receive information from contacts at ports in the Gulf of Aden and use speedboats with very powerful outboard motors to approach their targets. Sometimes the speedboats are launched from much larger "mother ships" on the high seas. Located along the route of a crude-oil pipeline connecting the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean and racked by civil war, Somalia's coastline has become infamous for piracy. Each year, about 20,000 ships sail throughout the Gulf of Aden headed for the Suez Canal, an important shipping route for international trade that links Europe to the Middle East and Asia. The International Maritime Organization counted 111 attacks in 2008 in the Arablic Sea near Somalia, the most notorious location for such activity. A March 3 ceremony in Busan marked the commissioning of the new unit, the service said in a news release. "The inauguration of the Cheonghae unit this year, which marks the 100th anniversary of the Navy's founder, the late Adm. Sohn Won-il, will serve as a starting point for our Navy to make history and build a naval power to sustain us over the next 100 years," Adm. Jung Ok-keun, South Korea's chief of naval operations, said in a speech at the ceremony at Naval Operations Command.

Russia Plans To Rotate Warships Off Somali Coast - Navy

Russia Plans To Rotate Warships Off Somali Coast - Navy

(NSI News Source Info) VLADIVISTOK - March 2, 2009: The Admiral Panteleyev destroyer will replace the Admiral Vinogradov destroyer on an anti-piracy mission off the Somali coast, a spokesman for Russia's Pacific Fleet said on Monday. "The Admiral Panteleyev will leave its main base in Vladivostok in April and head for the Somali coast to take part in the international operation to fight piracy in the region," the spokesman said. Russia's Admiral Vinogradov destroyer has been involved in the anti-piracy mission around the Horn of Africa since the beginning of January and will leave the area in the near future, he added. Both warships are Udaloy class missile destroyers, armed with anti-ship missiles, 30-mm and 100-mm guns, and Ka-27 Helix helicopters. According to the UN, Somali pirates carried out at least 120 attacks on ships in 2008, resulting in combined ransom payouts of around $150 million. Around 20 warships from the navies of at least a dozen countries, including Russia, India, the United States, China and Arab states are involved in anti-piracy operations off Somalia, which has been ravaged by years of civil war. Somalia's new unity government plans to tackle the problem of piracy by creating a maritime corridor through the country's territorial waters with international assistance.

Japan's Navy Holds Anti-Piracy Exercise

Japan's Navy Holds Anti-Piracy Exercise

(NSI News Source Info) TOKYO - February 21, 2009: Japanese military and coast guard ships held a drill Friday to prepare for next month's mission to join multinational forces in the fight against pirates off the coast of Somalia.

Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force's destroyer "Takanami" approaches a Japan coast guard patrol boat, bottom, which plays a role of pirate boat during an anti-piracy exercise off port of Kure, Hiroshima, western Japan Friday, Feb. 20, 2009. Japanese military and coast guard ships held a drill Friday to prepare for their dispatch next month on a mission to join multinational forces in the fight against pirates off the coast of Somalia.

The Defense Ministry said the exercise took place off Hiroshima in western Japan. Japanese navy ships are expected to deploy to the pirate-infested Gulf of Aden in early March.

Friday's exercise involved one destroyer, a military helicopter, two patrol boats and about 180 navy and 60 coast guard personnel.

Opposition lawmakers have criticized the deployment, saying it could draw Japan into military operations prohibited by its postwar pacifist constitution.

But Tokyo has argued that the battle against piracy is a crime-fighting operation rather than a military one and thus is not prohibited by Japanese laws. Japanese coast guard staff, who will be on board for the Somali mission, are vested with rights to arrest and investigate suspected pirates.

Japan's post-World War II charter limits its military to conducting defensive operations. The navy personnel on the anti-piracy mission are allowed to use weapons only in self-defense or under emergency circumstances.

Despite Japan's pacifist constitution, its navy has been increasingly operating far away from the country's shores. It began a refueling mission in the Indian Ocean in 2001 to support U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan.

Somali waters are now patrolled by more than a dozen warships from countries including Britain, France, Germany, Iran, the United States and China. South Korea has also ordered warships sent to the region to protect its vessels and crews from pirates.

Tokyo has said its ships will be sent only to protect Japanese commercial vessels _ though the government says none have thus far been hijacked. Pirates have fired at three Japanese vessels. No one was injured.

Singapore To Join Anti-Piracy Mission: Minister

Singapore To Join Anti-Piracy Mission: Minister

(NSI News Source Info) SINGAPORE - February 12, 2009: Singapore will send a navy transport ship and two helicopters to support multinational anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden area, the defense minister said Feb. 11. The Endurance class landing platform dock ships are the biggest class of ships in the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN). They were designed and built locally by Singapore Technologies (ST) Marine to replace the old County class tank landing ships (LST). The four ships form the 191 Squadron of the RSN. Construction of the Endurance began in early 1997, with the keel laid down at ST Marine's Benoi yard on 27 March 1997. Currently, the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) LSTs are RSS Endurance 207, RSS Resolution 208, RSS Persistence 209 and RSS Endeavour 210. Teo Chee Hean told parliament that the Southeast Asian city-state - which has one of Asia's most modern armed forces - will send a landing ship tank (LST) and two Super Puma helicopters. He said they will work with the new international counter-piracy task force, known as CTF-151, operating in and around the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. The minister did not give a date for the Singapore contingent's deployment. On Feb. 10 the U.S. Navy, which currently leads the CTF-151, said it had arrested seven suspected pirates in the Gulf of Aden, the first time the task force has apprehended suspected pirates since its formation a month ago. Singapore has also sent LST vessels to waters near Iraq to support coalition forces there. China has already sent naval forces to the Gulf of Aden, and Japan's defense minister said recently his country's navy may be deployed as part of the anti-piracy operations as early as March. Pirates attacked more than 130 merchant ships in the Gulf of Aden last year, an increase of more than 200 percent on 2007, according to the International Maritime Bureau, which tracks piracy and shipping security issues.

China Navy's Main Goal Is To Escort Ships During Somalia Mission

China Navy's Main Goal Is To Escort Ships During Somalia Mission (NSI News Source Info) BEIJING - January 1, 2009: A military scholar believes China is doing the right thing by dispatching a naval task force to escort ships and to protect them from pirates in waters off Somalia.A ceremony is held before a Chinese naval fleet sets sail from a port in Sanya city of China's southernmost island province of Hainan on Dec. 26, 2008.

Colonel Ge Lide, researcher at the National Defense University of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), was quoted by the weekly newspaper, Youth Reference, as saying, "As a responsible member of the international community, China is obliged to implement the United Nations Security Council resolutions to curb piracy on the high seas and protect the safety of marine routes." The Chinese naval task force, which is made up of two missile destroyers and a supply vessel, set sail on Dec. 26. It is now on the Indian Ocean. The PLA navy promised to escort Chinese merchant ships, which were harassed by pirates seven times in 2008. It will also escort foreign vessels on request. Colonel Ge said, "With the discreet and aboveboard naval deployment, China doesn't have any intentions of challenging the security or commercial interests of other countries in the region. We are simply interested in guarding the international waters from armed pirates, our common enemies." The task force's commanding officer said their primary job would be escorts, not actively engaging pirates. He, however, did not rule out possible fire exchange. The 800 or so Chinese crew include about 70 members of the PLA Navy special forces. "I certainly believe the Navy would win against any threats and fulfill its lofty duty," Colonel Ge said in the newspaper.