somali piracy for naval order meeting

U.S. Naval War CollegeU.S. Naval War College Viribus Mari VictoriaViribus Mari Victoria

UNCLASSIFIEDUNCLASSIFIED

1

Somalia PiracySomalia Piracy



2

The Battlefield IssuesThe Battlefield Issues



3

Area of OperationsArea of Operations

1000 NM

1000 NM

1000 NM

27 regional nations (14 with coastline)3 chokepoints16.8 million km2

80% of global energy reservesReligious center for 1.5 billion Muslims23.000 ships passing the Gulf of Aden


Weather Matters…Weather Matters…



5

Somali Society… The Core IssueSomali Society… The Core Issue


Clan… Sub-Clan… Dia Paying GroupsClan… Sub-Clan… Dia Paying Groups

• Clans

– General groupings of individuals from a lineage aspect

• Local manner of governance

– Tribal leaders

– Pay blood (dia) debts

– Forms the core of Somali society as dia-paying groups

Formed aroundeconomic activities



7

Red Forces…Red Forces…

aka The Pirates



8


Expansion of Pirate OperationsExpansion of Pirate Operations


The Pirate Level PerspectiveThe Pirate Level Perspective

• Organized along blood-paying group lines… Family ties matter.

• Sea State Limited (no more than about 4-6 ft waves)

• When met with over-whelming force all pirates in small skiffs are willing to surrender. Only dhow mother ships have resisted apprehension

• Pirates use different kinds of mother vessels to disguise their movements and for element of surprise. AIS-information is most likely utilized from the larger mother ships.

• Pirates coordinate their attacks. Cell phones

• Pirates leaders ashore or in larger mother ships are using spoofing/fake distress calls etc.


Pirate Incident Vignette #1Pirate Incident Vignette #1

• M/V Sirius Star (January 2009)

– Taken down 450 nautical miles SE of Mombasa Kenya

– 2 million barrels of crude oil greater than a quarter of Saudi Arabia's daily oil production output… Worth $100 million

– Ransomed for $3 million…



12

IKONOS Satellite Image

EylEyl



13

Blue Forces…Blue Forces…

The Naval Response


Ongoing International Community ResponseOngoing International Community Response

• Operation ATALANTA EU Task Force

– EU Mandate under Cooperative Defense

– RADM Duncan Potts, Royal Navy

• CTF 151 Supported Commander under U.S. C5F

– RADM Tanin Likitawong, Royal Thai Navy

• Russian Task Force

– Commander Captain Ildar Ahmerov

– 2 Ships a tanker and a tug

• Chinese Naval Escort Task Force 171 (recently detached)

– 1 Destroyer and 1 Frigate



15

Combined Maritime Forces Combined Maritime Forces

Supported CommandersSupported Commanders

Supporting CommandersSupporting Commanders

CTF- 561Special

Operations

CTF- 56Ordnance Disposal

CTF- 54Submarines

CTF- 55Patrol Boats

CTF- 53Logistics

CTF- 50CSG

CFMCCDCFMCC

CTF- 51ESG

CTF – 152Central & Southern Arabian Gulf

CTF – 150Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of

Oman and Arabian Sea

CTF – 151Counter Piracy

CTF- 57Maritime Patrol



16

Naval Forces SnapshotNaval Forces Snapshot

GOKOVA GORKOVA

DIRECT SUPPORT TO CTF 151

ASSOCIATED SUPPORT TO CTF 151

NATIONAL TASKING

ABSALON

TOWADA

NORTHUMBL.

WAVE KN.

NIVOSE

KARLSRUHE

TIPPU SULTAN

HALSEY

JEAN DE VIENNE

MYSORE

PORTLAND

PSARA.

EU

PRE M LHER

MVP

SRI INDERA SAKTI NEUSTRASHIMY

ARIAKE

ABHA YELNYA

PARRAMATTA


Shipping Corridor… and ConvoyingShipping Corridor… and Convoying

17



18

White Forces…White Forces…

The Merchant Marine


Defeating Pirates… Defeating Pirates… From the Merchant Ship PerspectiveFrom the Merchant Ship Perspective

• To date, there have been no reported attacks where pirates have boarded a ship that has been proceeding at over 18 knots.

• Well constructed dummies placed at strategic locations around the vessel can give an impression of greater numbers of people on watch.

• While most bridge windows are laminated, further protection against flying glass can be provided by the application of security glass film, often called Blast Resistant Film.

• Pirates have been known to gain access through portholes and windows. The fitting of steel bars to windows will prevent this even if they manage to shatter the window.

• The use of water spray and/or foam monitors has been found to be effective in deterring or delaying pirates attempting to board a vessel.



20


Piracy Incident Vignette #2Piracy Incident Vignette #2

• S/Y Le Ponant (French flagged yacht)

– 30 hostages

– $2 million ransom paid

• French military intervention

– Find… Fixed… Finished…

– Combined Naval, Commando, and National Gendarmerie Intervention Group (GIGN) mission

– 6 pirates captured… Half of the ransom recovered

– Flown to Paris via Djibouti

– Trial in May 2013…

It was an intervention, not a pulverization…General Jean-Louis Georgelin French Army COS


Long Term IssuesLong Term Issues

• Stabilization and Rule of Law in Somalia

– AMISOM

– Other actors

– Other big questions (e.g. Somaliland)

• International Community Involvement

– Fortitude to deal with the real problem

– Money and risk

• Economics Matter

– International shipping

– Local economic activity in Somalia



23

Questions…Questions…

somali piracy for naval order meeting

Documents

pirates leaders

resistedapprehension

delaying pirates

royal navy ctf

unclassified white forces

unclassified somali

unclassified red forcesaka

gulf of aden