Tag: Gulf of Aden

Anti-piracy mission to supress piracy A new Russian naval task force will arrive on Wednesday in the Gulf of Aden to continue the ongoing anti-piracy mission off the Somali coast, a Defense Ministry spokesman said.The task force from the Pacific Fleet includes the Udaloy class Admiral Panteleyev missile destroyer, the Butoma supply tanker and the Fotiy Krylov salvage tugboat."The ships are sailing in the Indian Ocean at present. The crew is healthy, and the equipment and armaments are in order," the official said.The previous Russian task force led by the Udaloy class Severomorsk destroyer from the Northern Fleet concluded its anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden in mid-September and set sail for its home base in northern Russia.The task force stayed in the area from June 17 and has successfully escorted eleven convoys consisting of 38 commercial vessels from various countries along the shipping routes in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.The Russian Navy has maintained a presence off the Somali coast since October 2008, with warships operating on a rotating basis.Admiral Panteleyev carried out its previous anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden from late April to early June, 2009.Source: RIA Novosti

Joining an international anti-piracy mission The Russian large anti-submarine ship Admiral Panteleyev of the Pacific Fleet is on its way to the Gulf of Aden, where it is due to join an international anti-piracy mission later this week, a Russian Navy spokesman said on Monday.He added that also taking part in the mission will be the Fotiy Krylov tanker and a salvage tugboat.The Admiral Panteleyev will replace another Russian anti-submarine ship, the Severomorsk, which is currently patrolling the pirate-infested waters of the Gulf of Aden.Source: Moscow Time

120 pirates have been apprehended in 2011 Navy warships have prevented 34 piracy attempts and apprehended 120 Somali pirates since their deployment in the Gulf of Aden in October 2008."26 Indian Navy ships have been deputed in the Gulf of Aden since October 2008. A total of 1,731 ships have been escorted. 34 piracy attempts have been prevented by the Navy there," Defence Minister A K Antony told the Rajya Sabha in reply to a question.He said a total of 120 pirates have been apprehended and 73 fishermen and crew rescued in four operations of Navy in East Arabian Sea in 2011.The Minister said the Navy was cooperating with other navies operating there and the Arabian Sea.Meanwhile, replying to another query, the Minister said the Navy had also played a crucial role in rescuing a Chinese merchant vessel from being hijacked by the pirates in May this year.Answering another query, the government denied that there was a scam in the Defence Ministry's department looking after resettlement and rehabilitation of ex-servicemen.Source: PTI

ONI - Gulf of Aden Please be advised that the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) has issued the following advisory:"A merchant vessel reported coming under fire at 0541Z on 23 August in position of 1308N - 04911E approximately 100NM south of Mukalla, Yemen in the Gulf of Aden. This area will remain at high risk for the next 24-48 hours."The Maritime Administrator would take this opportunity to again urge all vessels operating in the High Risk Area to actively implement recommended Best Management Practices for anti-piracy measures as follows:Prepare the crew (refer to Marshall Islands MG-2-11-12); Harden the ship before the ship enters the High Risk Area (HRA); When entering the HRA from the direction of either the Suez Canal, the Arabian Gulf at 26N, the south at 15S or from the east at 78E: o Register the ship with the MSCHOA (http://www.mschoa.org /+44 (0) 1923 958545); o Report to the UKMTO ([email protected] / +971 505 523 215); and Continue to provide daily reports of ship's position, course, speed and estimated and actual arrival times to UKMTO while in the HRA. Remember, the ship must be registered with the MSCHOA and report to the UKMTO with every intended transit of ...

An eight-member Somali pirate team were spotted by the commandos An Indian warship has successfully warded off a pirate attack on a Greek merchant ship in the Gulf of Aden, where it is on anti-piracy deployment, in coordination with a German warship, the Indian Navy said Tuesday.The Indian frigate, INS Godavari, was escorting four merchant ships in the Gulf of Aden July 16 (Saturday), when the Greek cargo vessel MV Elinakos sent out a distress call. Soon after, the Indian marine commandos were rushed in aid of the Greek ship, the navy said in a press release here.An eight-member Somali pirate team had made the attempt on the Greek ship and they were spotted by the commandos on a skiff near the cargo vessel.The marine commandos on board their speed boats approached the pirate skiff, by which time the sea brigands dumped their arms and ammunition, and other piracy implements into the sea, the release said.The pirates later sped away, a naval officer said.The German naval ship Niedersachsen also coordinated with INS Godavari in the operation.Since its deployment in the Gulf of Aden in May this year, INS Godavari has safely escorted 219 ships of various countries. Last week, it ...

Publication of 50,000 hard copies of BMP 4 The Industry partners who have come together to produce the BMPs are alsofinancially sponsoring the publication of 50,000 hard copies of BMP 4 so that they can be distributed to Industry on a free-of-charge basis.Additionally this year, a DVD has been produced by Steamship Mutual and endorsed by many association signatories.The challenge for the Industry is to ensure the widest possible distribution and use of BMP 4. Then they have to be implemented onboard.Naval Authorities now report on a monthly basis, the names of vessels which have failed to fully implement BMP, and organisations are being pushed toraise an internal investigation to verify compliance of their members.The three Fundamental Requirements of BMP remain, and it is important that these are adhered too:ReportRegisterImplement Self Protection MeasuresThe new guidelines are expected to be released later this month.

It will dispatch 369 navy personnel manning two vessels The Royal Thai Navy will dispatch 369 navy personnel manning two vessels to join international maritime patrol operations fighting piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Somalia, on July 12, according to a senior navy officer.Vice Admiral Taweewut Pongpiptat, assistant navy chief-of-staff for tactical operations, told a media briefing that the 140-day mission will begin next month with a Bt360m (US$12m) budget allocated for the joint operations with 25 other nations.The Thai navy contingent is set to depart from Chuk Samet port in the eastern province of Rayong on July 12.Source: Seatrade Asia

A matter of great importance Yemen's ports have boosted security in recent weeks, port and maritime sources say, as international concern grows that the country's slide into chaos could embolden militants based there.Yemen, the Arab world's poorest country and neighbour to the world's biggest oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, relies heavily on its sea lanes for trade. Aden is Yemen's biggest port and one of the largest natural harbours in the world. Mukalla is a smaller port situated in the Gulf of Aden.Other terminals serving Yemen include Saleef, Hodeidah and Mokha on the Red Sea, the oil export terminal at Ash Shihr, and the LNG export terminal at Balhaf."Security at the ports - the gateways to Yemen - remains a matter of great importance to the three port corporations which have responsibility for ports," said Roy Facey, port development adviser to the Port of Aden. "And measures have been taken to harden the boundaries around key facilities," he told Reuters.Maritime specialists familiar with the ports said new razor wire barriers had been installed around some of these facilities and armed guards had been posted at gates where previously unarmed watchmen were responsible for entry points.The Yemen Coastguard continues to protect the ...

Marine Safety Advisory No.63-11 The Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) has issued the following advisories: A merchant vessel reported coming under fire at 1639Z on 15 May in position 14:09N-055:25E, approximately 171nm northeast of Socotra Island, Yemen in the Gulf of Aden. This area will remain high risk for at least the next 24-48 hours.For further information, click here.Source: Republic of the Marshall Islands

Attacked by a speedboat carrying seven armed pirates The Islamic Republic of Iran Navy warships have saved the Iranian oil-tanker, Damavand, from a pirate attack in the Gulf of Aden. Damavand was attacked by a speedboat carrying seven armed pirates while sailing in the Gulf of Aden, south of Yemen, Fars News Agency reported.In their 11th confrontation with pirates this year, Iran's Navy forces thwarted the attack through their speedy action and effective use of firepower. As a result of the conflict, all pirates fled and the Iranian tanker Damavand resumed its journey in complete safety.Iran has recently stepped up efforts to combat piracy in the unstable areas of the Gulf of Aden and Horn of Africa, and secure its commercial vessels through their journeys throughout regional waters.The Gulf of Aden -- which links the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea -- is an important energy corridor, particularly because Persian Gulf oil is shipped to the West through the Suez Canal.Iran's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari has also voiced Iran's readiness to protect foreign ships likely to fall victim to pirate attacks in piracy-stricken international waters.Iran's Navy fleets have escorted almost 1,000 Iranian commercial ships ...