Thanks to Jeff for sending me this article. This is significant. These pirates took down a ‘super tanker’, at 450 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia! Those are two records–the biggest ever ship taken, and the furthest out to sea hijacking. They must be using a mother ship out there in order to do an operation like this.
The other interesting angle to this, is the shift of attacks further out to sea, mean a larger patrol area. A herculean task, and I think this will change the thinking about the way piracy will be dealt with. That security forces will have to escort each ship, or post a robust force on the ship itself in order to properly protect it. To just post a security ship in the general area is not going to work, if pirates are willing to go so far out to sea.
And with this subject, if you have been watching the show on History Channel called Shadow Force, the first two episodes have dealt with maritime operations. Although what they are doing is busting illegal fishing operations off the coast of Liberia. The cool thing about the operation, are the obstacles and challenges that they had to over come just to get up and running over there. They used a RIB, with a FLIR camera and an LRAD non-lethal sound weapon system. Cool show. –Head Jundi
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The MV Sirius Star super tanker.
Tanker taken to Somali pirate stronghold
U.S. and other naval forces decide — for now — against intervention
The Associated Press
updated 6:16 a.m. PT, Tues., Nov. 18, 2008
MOGADISHU, Somalia – Pirates who seized a Saudi supertanker loaded with $100 million in crude oil anchored the ship within sight of impoverished Somali fishing villages Tuesday, while the U.S. and other naval forces decided — for now — against intervention.