Pirates not of the Caribbean

[glojo]

I TOTALLY agree with you Pontious and it is so easy to be an arm chair warrior and sit back criticising those that risk theor lives just so that we can have foreign goods on our shelves.

MUCH respect to those brave merchant seamen that sail in those waters

11.03.2012:0 715 UTC: Posn: 13:09N - 057:56E, 210nm ENE of Socotra Island, Yemen, (Off Somalia).
Five pirates in a skiff doing 22 knots chased and fired upon a container ship underway at 21 knots. The pirates closed to the port quarter of the vessel and fired an RPG towards the bridge. The Master increased speed, enforced anti-piracy measures and the crew mustered in the safe area. After about 20 minutes of chasing the vessel, the pirates aborted the attack and moved away.

You have an excellent point but from experience I can honestly say that in any type of sea a skiff will have a very 'bumpy' ride at any type of speed and I fully understand the reasons why they will quickly give up on any persuit of a fast moving merchant vessel. If an incoming skiff is sighted at a distance of perhaps 8 miles (if you are lucky) then pedal to the metal, mouth to the microphone (radio) and a quick prayer should see you in with a chance.. Don't forget that to date there have been no successful attacks at speeds of 18knots or above.

To put an air theme into this thread I hear that France is now supplying an Atlantique2 in support of this mission and we have had a South African member talking about the state of their Air Force

Originally Posted by Keith campbell

SA's Gripen pilots likely to get more flying hours as piracy fight intensifies



The South African Air Force (SAAF) is hopeful that the pilots of its Gripen fighters will be granted significantly more flying hours during the financial year, which started on April 1.
SAAF director: force preparation Major-General Tsoku Khumalo indicated that the target was for 180 flying hours yearly, starting from 2012/13.
Speaking to South African journalists at Sweden's Ronneby Air Force Base (AFB) on Tuesday, he said the increase in flying hours was needed to maintain "currency in piloting your aircraft".
"You can't sacrifice the hours you need to maintain currency."
"It's our job to protect our sovereignty. We've got the capability, we've got the equipment and we've got the people," he affirmed, adding that a key target would be to deal with the Somali piracy threat off Africa’s east coast.
SAAF Gripens have already carried out antipiracy reconnaissance missions. The fighters can fly from their base, AFB Makhado, to the middle of the Mozambique channel and back, without having to refuel.
More generally, the SAAF wants to increase the number of youngsters it trains as pilots, for all "lines" (in air force jargon – fighter, transport and helicopter), every year. As some of the Gripen's systems are still undergoing operational test and evaluation, the number of pilots converted on to the new fighter will remain limited until this process is completed.
The SAAF's fighter unit, 2 squadron, is currently participating in a multinational exercise, dubbed Lion Effort, in Sweden.
Lion Effort involves Gripen fighters from the Czech Republic and Hungary, as well as South Africa and Sweden. Thailand, the other operator of the Gripen, did not send any aircraft but did send six observers. The Czech Republic also contributed three of its indigenous L159 light attack fighters to the exercise.
"Our pilots are measuring up," assured Khumalo. "We're holding our own."
He said participants in the exercise were both learning from, and passing on lessons.