Posted on 03/23/2009 7:38:42 AM PDT by pobeda1945
VLADIVOSTOK, March 23 (RIA Novosti) - A task force from Russia's Pacific Fleet is getting ready to travel from Vladivostok to the Gulf of Aden in late March to take part in ongoing anti-piracy operations, a fleet spokesman said on Monday.
The Admiral Panteleyev destroyer, a salvage tugboat and a tanker will replace a task force, led by the Admiral Vinogradov destroyer, which has been involved in the anti-piracy operation off the coast of Somalia since the beginning of January.
"The departure of the task force to the Gulf of Aden, where Somali pirates are active, is scheduled for the end of March. The crews are readying the ships to operate in a tropical climate," Capt. 1st Rank Roman Martov said.
The Admiral Panteleyev is an Udaloy class missile destroyer, armed with anti-ship missiles, 30-mm and 100-mm guns, and Ka-27 Helix helicopters.
The Admiral Vinogradov and the Boris Butoma tanker have completed their anti-piracy mission around the Horn of Africa and are expected to return to their home base in Vladivostok at the beginning of April.
"The ships are scheduled to make an official visit to Jakarta [Indonesia] on March 24-28. On the way to Vladivostok they will also visit the Chinese port of Zhanjiang," Martov said.
Around 20 warships from the navies of at least a dozen countries are involved in anti-piracy operations off Somalia. According to the United Nations, Somali pirates carried out at least 120 attacks on ships in 2008, resulting in combined ransom payouts of around $150 million.
Hop-a-long Cassidy is on the way
allu akhbar
The beauty of the situation is that the Somali pirates have no state sponsors or leftist cheering section, they bedevil everyone equally.
All nations seem to be coming to the conclusion that something has to be done. That’s basically how the first Great Age of Piracy in the early 1700’s came to an end. All the countries in the regions they operated realized there was more profit to be had in unobstructed trade and order on the high seas rather than in offering pirates safe haven and a ready market for their stolen goods.
This is where we originally got “international law”, to give pirates no safe haven. Now, of course, confusion and hand-wringing about “international law” is what’s been allowing them to get away with it.
Can’t understand why they won’t just arm the oil tankers. Couple of quad fifties and a few trained men with shoulder mounted canon and small arms would do the trick. Also, arm the crew with automtic weapons and give them some rudimentary training. Then, allow these oil tankers to sail on schedules that placed several of them close to each other when passing through dangerous waters for mutual assistance. No need for a navy to protect them.
A destroyer anchoring a “task force”.
This is one situation where the Russian interpretation of “international law” has my full support!
The Somali pirates better purge their “friends and family” list off their hijacked cellphones
“Can’t understand why they won’t just arm the oil tankers”
Changes the entire equation for insurance purposes
Cheaper to be an unarmed carrier and take insured losses than to be denied insurance, or hit with huge premiums for the shipper taking responsibility for probably ineffective defense and shared blame for clients’ losses
Yeah, and the Russian task forces always include a tugboat.
Hey great, if the Russians are willing to blow some Somali pirates to smithereens, go for it, nothing lost!
LOL says a lot about their readiness
While I was writing my response I did think about the "ineffective defense" part, but the insurance issue never crossed my mind; makes great sense though. Still, if they hired only the best, (former U.S. trained combat veterans), to man the 50 cals. and shoulder canon, and gave decent training to the crew in small arms, I think it could be an effective and cheap means of defense. These pirates in their small boats would be target practice for experienced gunners. And what would they do if they somehow managed to board a tanker only to face 25 armed-to-the teeth crew? If these ships continue to get hijacked at sea the insurance may become too costly anyway.
“A destroyer anchoring a “task force”.”
Still the same old Russian Navy, huh?
We used to steam back and forth across the Med while they sat at anchor off Libya the entire time.
Oh, and I see they have their trusty tug, too.
Considering who they're going up against, that seems appropriate, as does the tug boat.
Considering who they're going up against, that seems appropriate, as does the tug boat.
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