Multiple news sources are reporting today about two piratical attacks that were defeated earlier today. CBS News reported that the Canadian warship HMCS WINNIPEG, responded to a distress call by the M/V MARIA K, a Lebanese flagged cargo ship. The crew reported rocket propelled grenade fire from the pirates. The HMCS WINNIPEG dispatched three naval helicopters to assist the MARIA K, about 60 miles from the WINNIPEG. The pirates broke off pursuit, and turned their attention to another nearby container ship, the US Flagged MAERSK VIRGINIA. A CBS correspondent, sailing on the WINNIPEG reported that an Italian Naval helicopter joined the Canadian aircraft and with the helicopters hovering overhead, the pirates gave up their attempted hijacking and threw their weapons overboard before their boat was boarded by the Italian Navy.
Earlier in the week, I came across an interesting interview concerning combating piracy. Reuters reported on an interview with Igal Hasson, a former Israeli Navy commando turned consultant, who advocates a two pronged attack to deter piratical activity. "There are two levels that need to be dealt with at the same time -- the level of international coordination, and the level of simple counter-measures installed on each individual vessel as a matter of policy," he told Reuters in an interview.
Hasson suggests continued development of joint naval activity in pirate-rife areas, to deter or fend off attacks with "command and control" centers to monitor mayday calls and coordinate quick rescue missions as is being coordinated through the European Naval Task Force - Operation Atalanta. Hasson’s focus however, is on the use of armed guards – 2 to 4 well trained and armed sharp shooters to ward off potential attackers is his preferred method of protecting individual vessels though he also recommends travel at faster speeds with evasive maneuvering and the use of electrified fencing as additional, non-lethal strategies.
