Arming Vessels to Combat Piracy
A top Navy commander suggested that commercial vessels should arm themselves when traveling through pirate-infested waters off the Somali coast. Navy Adm. Mark P. Fitzgerald, commander of U.S. naval forces in Europe and Africa and of NATO’s Allied Joint Task Force Command Naples, told Pentagon reporters that the scope of the piracy problem is too great to be policed by military vessels alone. On an average day, 30 to 40 ships comprising international maritime forces monitor pirate activity in the Somali basin and the western Indian Ocean, Fitzgerald said, adding that five to 10 of these ships at any given time are American vessels. Another issue, the admiral said, is what to do with pirates who are captured.
13 NATO Nations Sign MoU in Norfolk
Thirteen NATO nations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), paving the way for the creation of the Combined Joint Operations From the Sea (CJOS) Center of Excellence (CoE) at Allied Command Transformation (ACT) headquarters in Norfolk, Va., May 31. Allied Command Transformation is one of NATO’s two strategic-level headquarters and is NATO’s forcing agent for change, leading the continuous improvement of Alliance capabilities to uphold NATO’s global security interests. The CoE falls in line with ACT’s mission to transform NATO’s military capabilities, making allied maritime forces faster and more precise in their operations. Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet Vice Adm. Mark P.
