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Counter Piracy News

26 Feb 2024

USS Hershel “Woody” Williams Maintenance Completed in Croatia

The Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary sea base USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB 4) undocks during its first Regular Overhaul (ROH), a planned maintenance period, in the European area of operations at Palumbo Shipyard Malta. (Photo: U.S. Navy)

The Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary sea base USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB 4) completed its routine planned maintenance in Rijeka, Croatia Feb. 8, 2024 at Viktor Lenac Shipyard.Military Sealift Command, Europe and Africa (MSCEURAF) and Forward Deployed Regional Maintenance Center (FDRMC) executed the ship’s planned Mid-Term Availability (MTA), a depot-level maintenance period, to maintain safety and mission-essential equipment and ensure the ship will reach its planned service life.Maintenance work during the MTA included Safety of Life At Sea equipment such as communication…

15 Dec 2023

Warship Rushes in to Investigate Suspected Pirate Attack off Somalia

(Photo: EUNAVFOR)

A Spanish navy ship is sailing at full speed towards a Maltese-flagged commercial vessel that may have been hijacked by pirates off Somalia, the European Union's Somali counter piracy force said on Friday.If confirmed, it would be the first successful hijacking involving Somali pirates since 2017 when a crackdown by international navies stopped a rash of seizures in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.EUNAVFOR's joint operations centre in Spain said it received an alert on Thursday about the "alleged pirate-hijacked vessel" Ruen, which was approximately 500 nautical miles east of Socotra Isl

05 Jun 2023

UAE Stops Taking Part in US-led Gulf Maritime Coalition

© mrnai / Adobe Stock

The United Arab Emirates said on Wednesday it was no longer taking part in operations by a U.S.-led task force protecting Gulf shipping, which has been subjected to renewed tanker seizures by Iranian naval forces in recent weeks.The UAE was responding to a Wall Street Journal report on Tuesday which, citing U.S. and Gulf sources, said the Gulf state was frustrated by the lack of U.S. response to recent tanker seizures by Iran.This was a "mischaracterisation" of conversations between the two countries…

22 Aug 2022

Waters Near Somalia Removed from List of High-risk Piracy Areas

© remipiotrowski / Adobe Stock

An area of the Indian Ocean near Somalia—once known as a piracy hotbed—has been removed from the shipping industry's list of high-risk areas following more than a decade of military, political, civil society and the industry measures to secure the waters. No piracy attacks against merchant ships have occurred off Somalia since 2018.On Monday, shipping industry groups International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), BIMCO, International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA), INTERCARGO…

26 Jul 2022

Merchant Vessel Loses Power in Somali Waters

(Photo: EU NAVFOR ATALANTA)

A merchant vessel was towed to safety after losing power in heavy seas off the coast of Somalia.On July 19, the EU's counter-piracy forces EU NAVFOR ATALANTA received a request for assistance from the Somali Ministry for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation after the Tanzania-registered merchant ship Anatolian suffered a complete propulsion and power plant failure, and was without food or fresh water. At the same time, ATALANTA assets were granted permission to enter Somali territorial waters.For about a week…

23 May 2022

Damen Shipyards Delivers Multi-Mission Inshore Patrol Vessel to S. Africa Navy

Credit: Damen Shipyards

Damen Shipyards has delivered the first of three 62m by 11m Multi-Mission Inshore Patrol Vessels (MMIPVs) to the South African Navy, at a ceremony held at Simon's Town Naval Base in South Africa."The vessel marks the culmination of four years of work for Damen Shipyards Cape Town (DSCT). The vessel being delivered will augment South Africa’s maritime security by enhancing the country’s capability to respond effectively, rapidly, and cost-effectively to threats such as illegal trafficking and fishing," Damen said.The vessel is the first Damen Sea Axe vessel to operate in South Africa.

17 Jan 2022

Operation Atalanta Gets New Deputy Commander

(Photo: EU NAVFOR)

The European Union's counter-piracy outfit announced a new Deputy Commander has taken over to lead its maritime security operations off the coast of Somalia.European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia - Operation ATALANTA said RAdm Messina (Italian Navy) handed over the role of Deputy Operation Commander (DCOM) of the EU NAVFOR Somalia to RAdm Slaars (French Navy) during a ceremony presided by Operation Commander, Vice Admiral José M. Núñez Torrente at Operation Headquarters (OHQ) in Rota…

21 Jul 2021

South Korea Leaders Apologize over Mass Covid Outbreak on Navy Ship

 U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Rebecca J. Moat (File Photo. Public Domain License)

South Korea's prime minister and defense minister apologized as hundreds of COVID-19-infected sailors were flown to Seoul on Tuesday after a navy destroyer patrolling the waters off Africa was found to be riddled with the coronavirus.Almost 250 of the 301 unvaccinated crew aboard the destroyer Munmu the Great were infected, sparking a public furor at the government's failure to protect those serving abroad. read moreThe whole crew arrived home on Tuesday after the government carried out an emergency air evacuation…

07 Jul 2021

Maritime Security Conference Kicks Off in Ghana

(Photo courtesy Paramount Group)

Africa's largest annual maritime security conference kicked off in Ghana this week amid a sharp rise in piracy and armed robberies in the Gulf of Guinea over the last 12+ months.Hosted by the Ghanaian Navy and Air Force in Accra from July 6-8, the International Maritime Defense Exhibition and Conference (IMDEC 2021) has brought together several West African Chiefs of Naval Staff and government leaders such as the Vice President of Ghana, Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia, alongside experts…

04 May 2021

UK Hydrographic Office Appoints Peter Sparkes as Chief Executive

Rear Admiral Peter Sparkes (Photo: UKHO)

The U.K. Hydrographic Office (UKHO) announced the appointment of Rear Admiral Peter Sparkes as the new chief executive and accounting officer. Sparkes will be leaving the Royal Navy to take up the role.As chief executive, Sparkes will continue to lead the organization’s important work in supporting safe, secure and thriving oceans. This includes the UKHO’s work in support of Defense and merchant shipping. Working in close collaboration with national and international partners…

02 Mar 2021

Fairbanks Morse Delivers Engines for USS John L. Canley

(Photo: Fairbanks Morse)

Wisconsin-based power solutions manufacturer Fairbanks Morse said it has delivered four FM 6L48/60CR engines to shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO in San Diego for the newbuild USS John L. Canley (ESB 6). The ship is the sixth in the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command Expeditionary Transfer Dock (ESD)/Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) program and is designed to serve as a mobile sea base that provides access to critical infrastructure for the deployment of forces and supplies.The four FM 6L48/60CR engines are rated at 6,480 kW and will deliver a total of 25,920 kW of installed power.

12 Nov 2020

French and Japanese Warships Aid Injured Mariner

(Photo: Combined Maritime Forces)

Two warships came to the aid of an injured seafarer on board the Indian-flagged merchant tanker Lourdes off the coast of Oman in the early hours on Monday.French frigate Jean Bart and Japanese destroyer Ariake were called to conduct the emergency operation, which saw medical personnel from both vessels assist an Indian patient who had a suspected head injury.At 0100Z (0400 local time), a Japanese medic provided immediate assistance on board MV Lourdes, before coordinating with…

20 Jul 2020

Crew Kidnapped from Tanker in the Gulf of Guinea

Armed pirates have reportedly kidnapped 13 seafarers from a Liberian-flagged product tanker in the Gulf of Guinea off West Africa, continuing a rise in attacks on vessels in the world's most dangerous piracy hot spot.The Curcacao Trader was approached by eight armed individuals aboard a single speedboat and boarded 232 nautical miles southwest of Lagos, Friday. Among those abducted are seven Russian nationals, according to the Russian embassy in Nigeria. The other five crew members taken from the ship are believed to be Ukranian.The 116.5-meter vessel had been sailing south after departing the port of Lomé, Togo when her speed dropped to 3 knots at the indicated time of attack, according to maritime security intelligence group Dryad Global.

17 Jun 2020

BAE Systems Builds RIBs for Trinidad and Tobago Patrol Ships

(Photo: BAE Systems)

BAE Systems has been awarded a contract worth almost £2 million ($2.5 million) to provide six Pacific 24 (P24) rigid inflatable boats (RIBs) to Austal, based in Australia. The RIBs, built and customized in BAE Systems’ Boats factory in Portsmouth, U.K. are being supplied to Austal to equip two Cape-class Patrol Boats under construction for the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard.The P24 is a small and agile boat that can be deployed for a variety of tasks from counter-piracy and counter-narcotics missions, to force protection, rescue and logistics operations.

27 May 2020

Vestdavit to Equip US Navy Expeditionary Sea Base Newbuilds

The ESB 6 and ESB 7 are being built by NASSCO to the same design as the earlier ESB4, USS Hershal ‘Woody’ Williams, Woody, here pictured during sea trials (credit: NASSCO).

Boat launch and recovery systems supplier Vestdavit said it will deliver motion-compensated davits to the US Navy, following orders placed by shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO to equip two Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) ships.The US shipbuilder’s San Diego yard will deliver ESB 6 and ESB 7, the latest in a series of ships which act as mobile sea bases to support mine countermeasure, counter-piracy, disaster-relief, crisis-response and other operations. Bergen-based Vestdavit in 2017 established Vestdavit Inc.

28 Apr 2020

EU's Piracy Fight Continues Amid COVID-19 Crisis

(Photo: EU NAVFOR)

The European Union's counter-piracy military force said it continues to patrol and work with global partners to fight piracy at sea during the coronavirus pandemic. Seafarers face continuing threats from pirates and armed robbers, says the ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB), who reported 47 attacks in the first three months of 2020, up from 38 in the same period last year. Pirates boarded 37 ships in the first quarter of 2020.EU NAVFOR said ATALANTA remains full mission capable and ready to deter…

28 Jul 2019

New Guidance on Abduction in Sulu-Celebes Seas

The ReCAAP ISC has produced the “Guidance on Abduction of Crew in the Sulu-Celebes Seas and Waters off Eastern Sabah”.The guidance focuses on the incidents of abduction of crew from ships for ransom in the Sulu-Celebes Seas and in the waters off Eastern Sabah. It provides the guidance and analysis based on the information collected from past incidents in order to assist the shipping industry and ships to enhance their situation awareness and avoid such incidents.This guidance complements the general guidance contained in the “Regional Guide to Counter Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia”The Sulu-Celebes Seas region covers the tri-boundary area of the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia.

19 Jul 2019

Stakeholders Ignore U.S. Middle East Coalition Proposals

USN File photo: flight operations underway on the USS Boxer, the warship credited this week with downing an Iranian drone.

The United States is struggling to win its allies' support for an initiative to heighten surveillance of vital Middle East oil shipping lanes because of fears it will increase tension with Iran, six sources familiar with the matter said.Washington proposed on July 9 stepping up efforts to safeguard strategic waters off Iran and Yemen where it blames Iran and its proxies for tanker attacks. Iran denies the charges.But with Washington's allies reluctant to commit new weaponry or fighting forces…

17 Jul 2019

Unarmed Guards Deployed to Navigate Gulf

File Image: AdobeStock / © Taras

Shipping companies are hiring unarmed security guards for voyages through the Middle East Gulf as an extra safeguard after a wave of attacks in the region, security companies involved said.Relations between Iran and the West are increasingly strained after Britain seized an Iranian tanker in Gibraltar this month. Britain also said last week that one of its warships had to fend off Iranian vessels seeking to block a UK-owned tanker from passing through the Strait of Hormuz.As the risk of escalation grows…

15 Jul 2019

INTERTANKO Director Visits EU NAVFOR

Operation Atalanta Operation Headquarters (OHQ) welcomed a visit from Phillip Belcher, Marine Director at the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (INTERTANKO), as part of key EU NAVFOR relations with the shipping industry at a strategic level.Operation Atalanta, formally European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia, said in a press release that Belcher visited to hold a meeting regarding the latest developments in counter-piracy operations and the last incidents in the Indian Ocean.The meeting was chaired by Operation Atalanta’s Deputy Commander, Rear Admiral Giovanni Battista Piegaja. Also in the meeting were Operation Atalanta’s Political Advisors…

12 Jul 2019

Private Security in Mideast Gulf Discouraged

Shipping companies sailing through the Middle East Gulf are being urged to avoid having private armed security guards onboard as the risk of escalation in the region rises, industry associations say.Relations between Iran and the West have become increasingly strained after Britain seized an Iranian tanker in Gibraltar last week and London said its warship HMS Montrose had to fend off Iranian vessels seeking to block a British-owned tanker from passing through the Strait of Hormuz.The most recent incidents followed a spate of attacks on tankers since May around the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman, which the United States has blamed…

29 May 2019

EU NAVFOR Reviews Somali Piracy Attack

The European Union’s counter-piracy force EU NAVFOR Somalia Operation Atalanta has revealed the scenerio after having responded to the attack on 21 April. The suspected pirates seized a fishing dhow off the coast of Somalia then, holding 23 people hostage.Two days later, the incident was over; Operation Atalanta had detained five suspects and released 23 hostages, it said. EU NAVFOR explained detailed of the operation.The incident began when five suspected pirates captured a fishing dhow off the coast of Somalia. The suspects proceeded to navigate the dhow along the coast, where they visited a pirate base camp and reinforced their crew with additional members.Next, using the captured dhow as a mother ship, the suspects attacked another fishing vessel, the FV Adria.

08 May 2019

Cammell Laird Finishes RFA Fort Victoria Refit

UK based shipbuilding and engineering company Cammell Laird  has completed GBP44mln Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Fort Victoria Refit.The supply ship Fort Victoria, one of the largest vessels operated by the UK Ministry of Defence, has put to sea following the completion of the refit by the Birkenhead-base shipyard and marine engineering services provider.The year-long programme of work, represented phase two of RFA Fort Victoria’s life extension programme to keep her in service until 2025.Dubbed ‘Britain’s number one pirate catcher’ after playing a key role in numerous counter-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia, the ship has rejoined the UK’s surface fleet…

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