Somalia – Page 2 – Canadian Naval Review

The ‘Global Spill-over Effect’ of lawlessness at sea

An article entitled “Piracy sidelines Third of Taiwan’s Indian Ocean tuna fleet” (no longer available form on-line source), released on 26 November by AFP details the plight of fishermen operating in the Indian Ocean. Taiwan has reported to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (ICCAT) that […]

Broadsides Discussion Forum Piracy

Private contractors to train Somali anti-pirate forces?

An article by Jason Lewis, entitled “Paul and Rachel Chandler: British mercenaries hired to take on Somali Pirates,” in the 20 November issue of The Telegraph claims that the U.K. government is preparing to pay a private contractor to employ British ex-special forces personnel to train and assist Somalis: “Acting […]

Broadsides Discussion Forum Piracy

New statistics from IMB reinforce existing trends, show new ones

The statistics on piracy attacks for the first and second quarters of 2010 have been released. They contain data that shows the Somali pirates are expanding their capabilities to conduct long-range operations and avoid the multinational naval force patrols. The first two quarters of 2010 have resulted in 196 incidents […]

Broadsides Discussion Forum Piracy

Another escalation as the pirates grow bolder

AFP News Services have reported Somali pirates were able to capture the Bulgarian chemical tanker MV Panega (IMO number 8511586, 5,846 DWT, built in 1986) on Tuesday, 11 May. The crew of 15, all of whom are Bulgarians, have been taken hostage. The ship was enroute from the Red Sea […]

Broadsides Discussion Forum Piracy

Armed Security Guards Kill Pirate in Shootout

Fox News (FoxNews.com) is reporting that armed security guards have shot and killed a Somali pirate for the first time. You can read the news report here. The incident took place on Tuesday, 23 March, and was directed against the Panamanian-flagged, general cargo vessel MV Almezaan (IMO Registry No.7906710). The […]

Broadsides Discussion Forum Piracy

A new assessment of escalating costs provides further insights

An article from Defence IQ provides more data on the growing piracy problem in the Indian Ocean and the effect it is having on local economies. You can read the article here. Here is a short summary of the data presented: – Number of global piracy attacks in 2009: 406 […]

Broadsides Discussion Forum Piracy

Background and Update on NATO Counter Piracy Operations off Somalia

I have read all the posts about piracy and find them very interesting…but somewhat misinformed in certain areas. I am also somewhat disappointed that there is an absence of information about NATO’s contribution to combating piracy off the coast of Somalia. I am presently the second in command of the […]

Broadsides Discussion Forum Piracy

The weakness of Defended Lanes exposed by an ‘audacious pirate attack’

In my post on 7 December, entitled “Whether to Protect the Sea or Protect the Ships,” I argued that efforts to create defended lanes are a “misguided effort at sea control” and that history has shown repeatedly that they are based on a flawed operational concept. I did not realize […]

Broadsides Discussion Forum Piracy

Whether to Protect the Sea or Protect the Ships?

The capture by pirates of another super tanker, the Greek-owner MV Maran Centurus, approximately 800 nm off the coast of Somalia was reported this week by the BBC. The BBC report quotes Somalia analyst at the International Crisis Group think-tank Rashid Abdi as saying “the world’s navies has made little […]

Broadsides Discussion Forum Piracy

EU Anti-piracy Naval Force Warship Tracks Down Pirate Mother Ship

The European Union scored a major success on Thursday, 12 November, when the French warship Floreal tracked down and apprehended the pirate attack group responsible for the recently reported attacks against the Singaporean large crude oil tanker MV BW Lion, 500 miles northwest of the Seychelles. This was reported as […]