Noticias de interés
International Counter Piracy Operation blows through the Gulf of Aden
Fecha de la noticias: 09/11/2020 • Publicada: 09/11/2020
The Republic of Korean ship Dae Jo Yeong conducts tactical manoeuvring drills with the Pakistan Navy ship Zulfiquar.
With the monsoon season – which makes sea conditions favourable
for smaller shipping vessels – over, a large multinational counter piracy
operation has been conducted by the Combined Maritime Forces in the Gulf of
Aden.
The operation, named Operation Shamal after the strong winds
that blow from the north bringing sandstorms to the region, was designed to
increase military patrolling in the area around the Gulf of Aden and the Horn
of Africa.
The area is of immense importance as the main shipping lane from
the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean passes through it. With the Monsoon
diminishing and sea becoming favourable for sailors, there has been a large
increase in the number of smaller fishing vessels, skiffs and dhows operating
again, mainly closer to the coastlines of coastal states.
“Focused Operation Shamal was conducted to demonstrate to
potential pirates and sponsors of piracy that there is a significant military
force in the region that would deal with any attempted piracy attack,” said CTF
151 Operations officer, Lieutenant Commander Yoo Sanghun of the Republic of
Korea Navy.
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“We are also here to reassure our partners on merchant ships
that despite the increase in small boat activity, the military is there to
respond,” he added.
The Operation was an international affair, with support from CMF
members Pakistan, the Republic of Korea, the United States and the Japanese
Maritime Self Defence Force.
The Pakistan Navy ship Zulfiquar and the ROK ship Dae Jo Yeong
drilled together during a Passing Exercise. The exercise is a testimony of the
skills and professionalism of the respective navies and demonstrated their
abilities to enhance interoperability at sea.
There was also a significant contribution from Djibouti and
Oman, with Djibouti’s coastguard and the Royal Navy of Oman playing a vital
part in contacting merchant vessels sailing through the area, alerting them to
the presence of warships and gathering essential information about any
suspicious activity they’d seen during their transit.
The UKMTO office in Dubai contributed to the operation. alerting
merchant shipping to expect an increase in military activity, both visually and
on VHF.
Military activity during the operation was not just limited to
the sea; maritime patrol aircraft from both CMF and EU NAVFOR-participating
countries contributed significantly to the operation, providing an overwatch
right across the entire piracy High Risk Area. They identified potential piracy
activity at an early stage, whether in the Somalian based known piracy camps or
at sea.
“It is always pleasing when we are able to grow our capability
by having so many countries operating closely together, whether it’s patrol
aircraft and warships tactically maneuvering together or nation states
coordinating their navies and coastguards to deliver freedom of navigation in a
long term strategy,” said Rear Admiral Nejat Inanir of the Turkish Navy,
Commander of CTF 151.
The region is in a state of transition between monsoon seasons;
October is one of the busiest times for small fishing craft and dhows to
operate and there will be an increase in small dhow traffic between the various
ports on both sides of the Gulf of Aden. Merchant ships are encouraged to use
the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC), where they are less
likely to have any interaction with the smaller fishing skiffs, which are
occasionally mistaken for pirates.
? Photo courtesy of JMSDF. A helicopter from the Pakistan ship Zulfiquar practises landing on the Japanese ship Ohnami.
Warships and maritime patrol aircraft continuously patrol the
Gulf of Aden throughout the year, but will be particularly vigilant in these
weather transition zones. It’s vital to protect world trade through vulnerable
chokepoints. With the seafarer hostages being released by pirates earlier this
month, it’s a key reminder that organisations including CMF’s CTF 151 play a
fundamental role to deter piracy from interrupting the free passage of these
crucial sea lanes.
“It’s been a very successful operation,” said Rear Admiral Nejat
Inanir. “Operation Shamal has provided a timely reminder to the maritime
community that there is an international effort to maintain the free flow of
commerce, today and always.”
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