Recently we posted about joint-operations by the Indian Navy and Coast Guard which since last Novemeber have succeeded in capturing 120 pirates in the Indian Ocean as well as taking several pirate “mother ships” and freeing the hostage held aboard. On reader commented: Good on the Indian Navy. (Would we have done the same?)
In most cases the answer would be “no.” A recent operation by the US Navy against Somali pirates demonstrates the difference in approach and outcome.
On March 24th, the M/V Falcon Trader II was under attack by pirates in the Arabian Sea. The aircraft carrier USS Enterprise and the guided missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf responded. A helicopter was dispatched which fired warning shots at the pirates onboard the Falcon Trader II. The pirates fled, firing at the helicopter which did not return fire. The pirates fled to the mother ship. While the Navy congratulated itself on a job well done, the pirates remain free to attack other ships that may come along.