NATO Units conduct Escorting Role

London - Ships of NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 have been busy conducting essential escorting of vulnerable shipping in the Gulf of Aden.

HMS CORNWALL successfully escorted the World Food Programme chartered vessel JAIKUR II from port of Berbera to Boosaaso in the Puntland region of Somalia.

The Task Force Commander, Commodore Steve Chick Royal Navy said ‘Without the escort provided by naval forces this essential life line would falter. The work CORNWALL is conducting today follows NATO’s long term commitment to supporting the World Food Programme that started with Operation Allied Provider’.

Other ships of the Task Force have also been conducting escort of vulnerable shipping through the International Recommended Transit Corridor. Most recently the Italian Warship LIBECCIO protected the Bulgarian flagged vessel SMOLYAN during its passage through the dangerous waters of the Gulf of Aden. Commodore Chick said ‘It is gritty work, demanding utmost vigilance if our ships are to be ready to react to the attacks by pirates made with little, or no, warning time. The SNMG2 units however are up for the task and will respond robustly to any attack encountered’.

NATO units join the fray

Units of NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 have joined the allied and multinational maritime efforts in combating piracy in the Gulf of Aden. The 5 NATO ships arrived in theatre on 30 June and have since been busy patrolling the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC)....

The Commander of the NATO Task Force, Commodore Steve Chick, Royal British Navy, said ‘Trying to locate and identify a small pirate skiff amongst large numbers of small craft conducting their legitimate business in one of the world busiest shipping lanes is a real challenge. It is a careful balancing act of concentrating our resources where they are most needed whilst providing protection and reassurance elsewhere’

As if to emphasize the point, the Turkish warship GEDIZ was involved in an incident on 8 July 09, while providing close escort to a vulnerable Romanian flagged ship through the transit corridor. The (coincidentally) Turkish flagged, bulk carrier HORIZON 1 reported that she was under attack by a pirate skiff just 6 miles away. Unable to leave her charge, GEDIZ launched her helicopter to intervene.

Despite the rapid response by both ship and helicopter, the pirates were able to seize control of the HORIZON 1 by threatening the crew with weapons. The whole incident from initial alert to seizure completed in just 21 minutes. GEDIZ was rapidly supported by the Greek warship NAVARINON who took over the escort role while GEDIZ remained in company with the HORIZON 1.

NATO has a long history of co-operation between navies and SNMG2 itself consists of 5 ships from as many nations that are fully integrated and capable of working seamlessly together. The ships are well equipped and have undergone extensive training for this task. Even so, they can not be everywhere at once and have to concentrate their efforts where it is most needed.

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