LEADING THE FIGHT AGAINST PIRACY

A vast stretch of water covering 1.1 million square miles. That is approximately the size of the area which CTF 151 was tasked to keep a sharp watch over. It was no easy task, considering that the area is over 4,000 times the size of Singapore.

For Rear-Admiral (RADM) Bernard Miranda, who assumed command of the multinational anti-piracy task force in mid-January this year, constant vigilance and tight coordination among international forces were vital to achieving success in the mission.

Together with a 35-man command team - which comprised 29 Singaporeans and six personnel from Australia, France, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia and South Korea - the 48-year-old Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) officer commanded naval vessels from various countries during his three months at the helm policing the piracy hotspot.

Commenting on the effectiveness of the task force in safeguarding these international waters, RADM Miranda said: "CTF 151 ships from the US, Korea, Pakistan and Turkey have all done exceedingly well in intervening and disrupting pirate attacks. There is close cooperation between the ships and aircraft of all the navies both within CTF 151, our partner Task Forces from the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and the European Union (EU), as well as ships on national taskings."

"Every day is a tough day as we have to be watchful 24/7 in a large and porous area... The pirates have been getting bolder and have been attacking ships further away from the Somali shores. This makes it even more important for all stakeholders to play their roles and work closely together to deal with the piracy problem," he added.

Established in January 2009, CTF 151 operates as part of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), which conducts integrated and coordinated operations to maintain and promote maritime security in the region. The busy shipping lanes of this critical trade route have seen an alarming surge in piracy in the recent years.

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) had previously deployed a task group - consisting of a Landing Ship Tank, the RSS Persistence, with two Super Puma helicopters embarked - to support the international counter-piracy efforts in the Gulf of Aden in mid-2009.

Following the return of the CTF 151 command team in April, the SAF will deploy a second task group there from June to October this year, as well as a Maritime Patrol Aircraft later this year.

Mission: to deter and disrupt piracy

During their three-month stint in the Gulf of Aden, the command team of CTF 151 swung into action to assist troubled ships. Here are some of the highlights of their time in the Gulf.

1.
Date: 20 Feb
Ship in distress: MV Apl Finland
Situation: A suspicious skiff with fuel barrels and a ladder was seen approaching the Panama-flagged MV Apl Finland, which raised the alarm to alert other ships in the region.
Action taken: The TCS Gemlik, a Turkish warship assigned to CTF 151, quickly responded to the distress call and closed in to investigate. During their pursuit, seven suspected pirates were spotted throwing various items overboard, including a ladder. Stopped after a series of manoeuvres and warnings, the skiff was boarded by a team from TCS Gemlik.

2.
Date: 22 Feb
Ship in distress: MV Barakaale 1
Situation: The Tanzanian ship, MV Barakaale 1, radioed for help when it came under attack. After alerting other vessels in the region, the crew conducted defensive measures, resulting in one of the suspected pirates falling overboard in his attempt to board the vessel. A second attempt to board the ship was similarly unsuccessful.
Action taken: An SH-60B Seahawk helicopter was immediately dispatched by the CTF 151 flagship, USS Farragut. The helicopter gave chase as the eight suspected pirates on the skiff attempted to flee. After issuing repeated warnings, the helicopter forced the skiff to a halt by firing warning shots across the bow of the skiff. A team from the USS Farragut proceeded to board the skiff and apprehend its crew, who were detained and taken aboard the USS Farragut.

3.
Date: 31 Mar
Ship in distress: MV Evita
Situation: Three suspected pirate boats -one mother skiff and two smaller skiffs - attacked a Sierra Leone-flagged tanker, MV Evita, about 500km north-west of Seychelles. The suspected pirates tried to stop the vessel by firing rifles and aiming rocket-propelled grenades, but the MV Evita increased its speed and fired warning flares to evade the attack.
Action taken: Locating MV Evita with the help of a Swedish Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPRA) from the European Union Naval Force Somalia, the USS Farragut promptly dispatched an SH-60B Seahawk helicopter to monitor the suspected pirates while a boarding team intercepted the skiffs. Fuel drums and grappling hooks were found on board the mother skiff. After ensuring that the suspected Somali pirates were unable to conduct any further attacks, all 11 were released on the two smaller skiffs while the mother skiff was destroyed and sunk.

4.
Date: 4 Apr
Ship in distress: MV Torm Ragnhild
Situation: Pirates in two skiffs fired rifles and rocket-propelled grenades at MV Torm Ragnhild as the Danish-flagged tanker was transiting the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) in the Gulf of Aden.
Action taken: As the IRTC coordinator, CTF 151 worked with other task forces in the vicinity to render their assistance. The suspected pirates broke off their attack when a French MPRA arrived at the scene. A Japanese MPRA reported spotting a mothership in the vicinity, later identified to be an Indian-flagged dhow named Safina Al Gayatri, that had been hijacked by the pirates.

A Turkish warship, TCG Gelibolu, from CTF 508 also responded to the attack. As the skiffs had already been recovered on the mothership and were escaping, TCG Gelibolu shadowed the pirated dhow through the night to the Somali coast, where the pirates decided to leave and flee the dhow, leaving the Safina Al Gayatri and its crew safe and free to continue towards its original destination.