This is significant because this quote below gives the back story on the video that was posted awhile back of the actions of an armed security detail on a vessel. Of course many folks speculated about what happened, and came to all sorts of ridiculous conclusions. Some called for investigations and questioned the tactics used by this security company, while others showed support and cheered them on. My position on the matter was to hold judgement, because I wasn’t there.
Now that that a better picture of what happened has come out, I am floored. These guys were up against a determined foe armed with RPG’s and AK-47’s, that tried to attack them twice in 72 hours! So under the circumstance, the video and the actions of these men makes total sense.
It is also a warning to other companies, that eventually pirates will test the waters on how to take down vessels that are armed. That the low hanging fruit called ‘vessels without armed guards’ is going away, and pirates are re-tooling and gaming this new reality. And like the quote below stated, this armed security team fought off this killer PAG not once, but twice in 72 hours….’twice’. Bravo to Trident Group for stopping them. –Matt
Armed guards of Trident Group, stop the killer pirates!
In an emailed statement to Lloyd’s List, Trident president Tom Rothrauff said:
“This action came 72 hours following another attack by this exact same pirate action group against this very same vessel. Further, the same PAG had attacked a tanker in the week prior, so this was a killer PAG. Our team acted with poise, and used every rule for the use of force as prescribed by the US Coast Guard in PSA 3-09.
“The skiff was identified as carrying RPG’s and AK 47’s. The team was compelled to wait before they initiated warning shots until the master gave permission to the team to release repelling force. When the warning shots were fired, it just so happened that the skiff opened up on our team at the exact same time.”