Not Mercs, Royal Navy Destroys Pirate Boats

Last night I wrote that it appeared there were mercenaries in Somalia because we are starting to see the use of helicopters in offensive operations. There is a lot evidence that security companies are in Somalia, but it would appear the helicopters in the news regarding the latest incident are not mercs at all. This time it was the Royal Navy.

HMS Montrose launched her Lynx helicopter and a boat of Royal Marines and sailors to investigate. Once the suspected pirates spotted the helicopter and boarding team, four of the suspected pirates took one of the smaller boats and tried to head for the shore.

The six remaining men stopped in the water and when the Lynx helicopter hovered overhead they attempted to discard the pirate ladders overboard.

The suspects were taken into custody and their boats blown up.

Were the Europeans also involved in the attack on the al-Shabab house in the same region a few weeks ago? Based on reporting inside Somalia, helicopters were heard for 2 full days in the area prior to the attack, suggesting HMS Montrose was waiting for the pirates to sortie to sea. I think that is interesting, because it suggests the intelligence on the ground is getting better.

It is noteworthy that European Navy's are operating closer and closer to the shores of Somalia. The Turks reportedly went ashore to burn some boats on the beach a few weeks ago, and there have been several pictures of anti-piracy operations by both NATO and EU forces taking place where one can see the coastline in the background of the picture.

The GAO report on piracy discussed by Robert Farley didn't really spell out the roles of the various groups operating in support of anti-piracy operations, so it is hard to get a clear picture of what each nation contributes. Press reporting suggests that NATO and EU forces are operating in the Indian Ocean off the Somalia shore, while the US, China, Russia, and others are operating in the shipping lanes through the Arabian Sea.