December 2012 On December 15th, the frigate from the Naval Component of the Belgian Armed Forces, the Louise-Marie, captured five suspected pirates. The ship was operating in the Indian Ocean as part of the European Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) Operation Atalanta, aimed at combating piracy in this vital stretch of ocean. The ship was en route […]
SE Asian Surge
February 2011 There has been a spike in piracy around Malaysia recently, with several incidents occurring in a short time span. Masked assailants hijacked a cargo ship on is way to deliver supplies and wages to another vessel out at sea. They intercepted the vessel 10 miles off Kota Kinabalu, a city on the northwestern coast […]
Game Changes
February 2011 Thanks to a change in strategy, many in the maritime security industry are speculating that Somali pirates may have the capability of increasing their range of operation. Somali pirates have recently been seen using merchant vessels they have hijacked as mother ships, from which they launch attacks. Mother ships are able to cover […]
Yachts Remain Vulnerable to Pirates
October 26th, 2012 The NATO Shipping Center, the Maritime Security Center for the Horn of Africa and several other agencies have issued official warnings to all yachts travelling near the Indian Ocean: Avoid travelling across or near high risk areas for the indefinite future. Just this past week, two piracy incidents have occurred in the high […]