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Africa Horn

Indian Navy destroys Somali pirate mothership

2008-11-19

NEW DELHI: Even as the world's largest supertanker the Saudi Sirius Star continues to be in the grip of pirates of the coast of Somalia, the Indian navy appears to have taken the lead in the fight against pirates.

An Indian warship deployed in the Gulf of Aden fought Somali pirates and destroyed their vessel after a brief battle, the navy said on Wednesday.

Two accompanying speed boats sped away after the main vessel was blown up late on Tuesday.

"INS Tabar retaliated in self defence and opened fire on the mother vessel," the navy said in a statement.

"As a result of the firing by INS Tabar, fire broke out on the vessel and explosions were heard, possibly due to exploding ammunition that was stored on the vessel."

Naval officers on board the warship said they spotted pirates moving on the deck with rocket propelled grenade launchers.

"On repeated calls, the vessel's threatening response was that she would blow up the naval warship," the navy said.

India deployed INS Tabar, a naval warship, to escort Indian ships after the country's shipping firms said they were losing $450,000 a month on cost overruns and delays in meeting deadlines.

Crew members are reluctant to sail in the Gulf of Aden, one of the world's most important sea trade routes, fearing attacks by pirates.

Meanwhile, Saudi supertanker Sirius Star was hijacked over the weekend and has anchored off the coast of Somalia in Eyl, even as pirates took over another Iranian-operated cargo vessel with a Hong Kong flag 'Delight. US navy commander Jane Campbell of the Bahrain-based 5th Fleet said the status of the crew and cargo was not known. There are some Indians among the 25-member crew.

In the first-ever action after being deployed in the Gulf of Aden, the Indian navy on November 11 thwarted an attempt by pirates to capture an Indian merchant vessel in the region. The ship, M V Jag Arnav, had recently crossed the Suez Canal and was eastward bound when it was surrounded by pirates, who tried to board and hijack the ship, navy sources in New Delhi said.

When the 38,265-tonne bulk carrier, owned by Mumbai-based Great Eastern Shipping Company, raised an alarm, it caught the attention of the Indian naval warship, INS Tabar, which was patrolling in the Gulf of Aden waters.

Posted by:john frum

#55 Actually the pirates are going after the wrong sort of targets. It's really easy to get rid of hot autos in Africa. They should be after Japanese car carriers going to Saudi and EU.

Posted by: 3dc 2008-11-19 21:53

#54 same BBC thread also had this:
We need to show care and understanding to the pirates, helping them to feel that they have a stake in the well-being of the whole world rather than feeling excluded and turning against everyone. Perhaps a task force from a conflict study course at one of our fine metropolitan universities should be dispatched to help resolve the situation.

Martin Smith

Posted by: 3dc 2008-11-19 21:28

#53 From the BBC piracy discussion thread:
The British government could help finance the pirates and then get a return on the spoils ...........or is this illegal now

henry morgan, barbados

Posted by: 3dc 2008-11-19 21:05

#52 The loss of one Mothership and a few bodies will be figured in in the cost of doing business. The cost of doing business needs to be made prohibitive.

Posted by: Deacon Blues 2008-11-19 19:49

#51 Wow 50 comments - pretty close to the target of 142 which was set when Madonna was begging for a male partner in a 3 way with Anglie Jolie.

Posted by: Jack is Back! 2008-11-19 19:27

#50 John, these anti-piracy operations are going to expose the need for small heavily armoured craft suitable for contested boardings. It doesn't matter how good the troops are, they will be sitting ducks in an inflatable or similar. It's probably been at least a 100 years since the last contested boarding of a ship by a western navy.

Posted by: phil_b 2008-11-19 19:22

#49 The German Bundesmarine has asked the German parliament for a robust mandate so it can fight pirates in that area. The vote is expected to come in December.

It will be approved.

Posted by: European Conservative 2008-11-19 18:23

#48 Apparently a number of these ships are captured trawlers?

Posted by: john frum 2008-11-19 18:18

#47 I would like to see who owned that mother ship and where it's engines came from. That would be the start of a good trail to who is funding this. My only guess is in the relationship Sudan has with Somalia and with the Indonesian Pirates in Asia. Another commom thread of muzzies working together. But I'm just guessing.

Posted by: 49 Pan 2008-11-19 17:53

#46 How much did India spend on the Tabar?

325 million.

More expensive than a typical Krivak because of the non Russian equipment on board (French and Indian sonars, ECM etc)

Posted by: john frum 2008-11-19 17:32

#45 The pirate's mistake was not have held their fire until the boarding party arrived.

The Tabar's boarding party are not regular sailors. There is a detachment of MARCOS (Marine Commandos) aboard. The MARCOS unit was setup with the help of the US Navy. They were originally trained by the SEALs.

Legacy BTW of the Reagan administration

Posted by: john frum 2008-11-19 17:21

#44 INS Tabars operation came nine years after the Indian Navy flexed its muscles in international waters by seizing a Japanese-owned freighter, the Alondra Rainbow, from Indonesian pirates.

For nearly five years now, caution and discretion at the external affairs ministry tacitly encouraged by the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) have constrained naval headquarters from exercising what it sees as the Indian Navys rightful role on the high seas as an emerging power and the largest neighbourhood force with legitimate interests in the Gulf and Southeast Asia.

At the US department of defence here, officials who are aware of tensions between naval headquarters in New Delhi and the external affairs ministry, were smiling in the knowledge that the trigger which set off yesterdays action has the potential to change the course of defence relations between and among nations.

The Pentagon has been lobbying in New Delhi for five years for India to join the US-led Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) aimed at stopping shipments of weapons of mass destruction globally.The Indian Navys leadership has tilted towards joining the PSI in internal discussions in South Block, but political correctness has cast a veto over a decision in favour of the initiative.

Posted by: john frum 2008-11-19 17:18

#43 The pirate's mistake was not have held their fire until the boarding party arrived. If they had, they would have inflicted casualties on the Indians, probably got themselves some hostages and got away under the protection of the hostages.

This scenario would probably mean no more boardings of suspected pirate vessels and the whole piracy interdiction model falls down.

Posted by: phil_b 2008-11-19 16:57

#42 Do you really think that a single Burke class or a simple drive by, by a carrier couldn't end this mess IF WE HAD THE WILL TO DO IT?

A Burke can only be in one place at one time, and costs over a billion dollars.

How much did India spend on the Tabar?

We need to be able to build something like the Tabar, and not a 600 million dollar ship with one gun and one short-range CIWS missile system. (Which, btw, we just did).

Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain 2008-11-19 16:56

#41 Anonymoose,

As the EU is not capable of doing anything as a "bloc", I'd separate them into the countries. So, I'd move #'s 3 to 5 one spot up, and perhaps put the UK at #5

Posted by: sludge 2008-11-19 16:39

#40 Balthazar, we have not over-modernized our navy; we have under-balled our politicians.

Do you really think that a single Burke class or a simple drive by, by a carrier couldn't end this mess IF WE HAD THE WILL TO DO IT?

Posted by: AlanC 2008-11-19 15:29

#39 rjschwarz: You are spot on. The UNSC is composed of nations that do three things. They must be economically powerful, they must be militarily powerful, and they must be willing to project that military force.

This means, the current lineup from most powerful to least powerful, should be:

1) The USA
2) The EU, as a bloc.
3) Russia
4) China
5) India

And possibly Japan, but only if learns to project military force. Importantly, this forum *will* exist, even if it not in the UN, or even officially, because it is based in power, not jawboning.

Posted by: Anonymoose 2008-11-19 15:13

#38 "It ain't nuthin' but a party, baby!"
-- Bootsy

Posted by: mojo 2008-11-19 15:13

#37 Tne "nest" as you put it is being supported by Iran and has been since late 1992. Ironically, the problem could be resolved by a half-dozen WWII submarines with deck guns. We have so modernized our navy that the most primitive of pirates can make monkeys out of the brass hats.

Posted by: Balthazar 2008-11-19 14:38

#36 It seems to me that, due to the world banking crisis causing problems with easy money transfers, clamping down on terrorist financiers, and other shadow actions, that terrorist organizations are getting into piracy as another type of fundraising. It could also be criminal syndicates. Regardless, the Somalis have the base, a lawless non-state, like Afghanistan was, to set up shop.

This time, we don't need nation building. We or someone else with a sense of duty, like India, just need to have the will to do the dirty job and destroy this plague.

Posted by: Alaska Paul 2008-11-19 14:33

#35 Here is a view of the coastal buildings at Eyl in Somalia. Nice targeting set up. Elongated line of buildings, if you know what I mean.

Posted by: Alaska Paul 2008-11-19 14:21

#34 "Indian Navy destroys Somali pirate mothership"

"As a result of the firing by INS Tabar, fire broke out on the vessel and explosions were heard, possibly due to exploding ammunition that was stored on the vessel."

Works for me. :-D

Welcome, India, for the continuing fight for freedom

Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2008-11-19 14:11

#33 The Tabar escorting another vessel

Posted by: john frum 2008-11-19 13:58

#32 Pirate is just Somali for Al Qaeda. Sink 'em all.

Posted by: WilliamMarcyTweed 2008-11-19 13:52

#31 Meanwhile...

Most of Australia's navy is to be given two months off over Christmas as part of a new strategy to cope with crew shortages, the defence minister says. Joel Fitzgibbon said the extended break was a way of encouraging sailors to stay in the service.

The number of sailors who stay aboard docked ships will be reduced, to make sailors' duties more family-friendly.

Mr Fitzgibbon rejected claims by the opposition that the move would affect national security. The opposition said the venture was an admission that the government had failed to recruit enough sailors.

Posted by: john frum 2008-11-19 13:16

#30 funky ref, Parabellum LOL

Posted by: lotp 2008-11-19 13:02

#29 Meanwhile NATO and the Euros are still formulating RoEs from Brussels. Wusses.

Yes, sadly. And as EU-rope (and maybe soon the USA too) is taking a leave from History, exiting not with a bang, but with a whimper, the ascending of India is evident. Just see which country will soon have cruise missiles, which fleet is growing, heck, even which country has just sent an engine on the moon,... it's not the UK, it's not France, not Spain, etc, etc...

Sad, but like g(r)om sez, even civilizations goes senile, though for that one, it's real hard to determine if it's suicide or assisted suicide (thanks, cultural marxism, thanks, socialism).

Posted by: anonymous5089 2008-11-19 13:00

#28 This is exactly the required prescription.

It's a good start. An improved prescription would include no attempt to take the pirates alive whatsoever, followed by a coastal bombardment of Eyl and the use of helicopter gunships to reduce what remains of the pirate haven to twitches and rubble.

And a complete cessastion of the delivery of 'aid' (ie the wages of permanent anarchy) to Somalia.

Posted by: Bulldog 2008-11-19 12:57

#27 Or another pirate ship on the team picked them up.

Posted by: ed 2008-11-19 12:52

#26 Wonder if the speed boat that got away had enough fuel to make it to a port or if ran out. I rather like the idea of them drifting without fuel, running low on water somewhere out there on the Gulf of Aden.

Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2008-11-19 12:50

#25 Hopefully they'll clean out the nest and then go after the Indonesian pirates (at least until the Chinese protectors start grumbling and make themselves known).

Posted by: rjschwarz 2008-11-19 12:27

#24 I welcome India to the status of Great Power and as one of the protectors of civilization.

Posted by: rjschwarz 2008-11-19 12:25

#23 They sunk tha Muthaship? I hope Bootsy's OK.

LOL!

Posted by: mrp 2008-11-19 12:20

#22 Interesting.

The Indian warship responded with the _weakest_ weapon on its deck and the target was destroyed by the secondary explosions.

As I mentioned earlier over on the bar, small patrol boats could do most of what's needed to supress the problem.

* The ship in question is about two-fifths the size of a Burke. It's a little larger than a LCS, but apparently a bit better armed for this actual sort of littoral warfare.

Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain 2008-11-19 12:04

#21 I would not be surprised to see a court action in the Hague alleging war crimes

Posted by: john frum 2008-11-19 11:44

#20 Okay, is this where a British judge comes in to warn us about the evils of vigilantism?

Posted by: AuburnTom 2008-11-19 11:38

#19 They sunk tha Muthaship? I hope Bootsy's OK.

Posted by: Parabellum 2008-11-19 11:30

#18 Anyone out there ever play Strike Fleet for the C64? The Dire Straits scenario.

Posted by: swksvolFF 2008-11-19 11:15

#17 A burst of fire from a 30 mm gatling gun should have the same psychological effect as someone racking a pump shotgun, if they are still alive.

Good for the Indian Navy. Three cheers for them! Proudly paint an outline of a Somali mothership on yer superstructure.

Meanwhile NATO and the Euros are still formulating RoEs from Brussels. Wusses.

Posted by: Alaska Paul 2008-11-19 11:14

#16 This is exactly the required prescription. Sink their asses and let the sharks feast. Just a couple more of these incidents will get to their hearts and minds more efficiently than a century of talking. The bravado on deck of popping off their AK's and brandishing their RPG's quickly turned to liquid shit dribbling down their legs when the first bursts from those gatling guns started hitting the deck and chopping them into dogfood. Congrats to the Indian Navy.

Posted by: Woozle Elmeter 2700 2008-11-19 11:00

#15 They used their AK-630 guns

From wikipedia
The AK-630 is a Russian fully automatic naval six-barreled 30 mm Gatling gun. It is mounted in an enclosed automatic turret and directed by radar and television detection and tracking. The system's primary purpose is defense against anti-ship missiles, and other precision guided weapons. However it can also be employed against fixed/rotary wing aircraft, ships and other small craft, coastal targets, and floating mines.

It can be described as the Russian counterpart to the United States Phalanx CIWS.

Posted by: john frum 2008-11-19 10:45

#14 One reason why pirates in the Caribbean were successful was not that they had more powerful ships than the Spanish warships.

They had faster ones.

Posted by: European Conservative 2008-11-19 10:18

#13 I seem to remember that the USN kinda got its start on this sort of stuff, no?

...to the shores of Tripoli.

Posted by: AlanC 2008-11-19 10:15

#12 "only means having taken a few pot shots at a couple of dhows."

And what has OUR Navy done?

Posted by: Carbon Monoxide 2008-11-19 09:44

#11 The probably used their 4" gun unless the skipper wanted to try out a sizzler. If he was angry, he would use one of the two CIWS 30mm gatlings that would cut the other ship in half.

In any event, not a whole hell of a lot of a contest.

Bet the Saudis send the Captain a nice gift basket and all expense paid week long shore leave for the crew at one of Dubai's finer five star hotels.

Posted by: Anonymoose 2008-11-19 09:28

#10 It's a start.

I'm glad to see a democracy in this world still has the balls to take on thugs.

Posted by: DarthVader 2008-11-19 09:12

#9 the vessel's threatening response was that she would blow up the naval warship

Where do they get these guys? They MUST have a khat ration on pirate ships.

Posted by: bigjim-ky 2008-11-19 08:34

#8 Tabar: Prepare to be boarded!
"mothership": Silly Indian warship! We will blow you up!
Tabar: Wrong answer.
*BOOM*

Posted by: Spot 2008-11-19 08:07

#7 and noy worry about the human rights groups saying that they where hugely overmatched and should have boarded them and taken prisoners which would have cost Indian sailors some lives. Does anyone else think that maybe Saudis are funding the pirates too do this since the Shabaab has aken over most of somalia aga(only GOD knows why)? too may be get that oil price up again

Posted by: chris 2008-11-19 07:46

#6 even if taking the lead by shooting ata couple of dhows, at LEAST they have the balls too do so

Posted by: chris 2008-11-19 07:44

#5 A Krivak-III armed to the teeth with Sizzler anti-ship missiles is perhaps not the vessel one targets with RPGs

Posted by: john frum 2008-11-19 07:18

#4 When your only weapon is an RPG-7, everything looks like a tank.

Posted by: badanov 2008-11-19 07:06

#3 Naval officers on board the warship said they spotted pirates moving on the deck with rocket propelled grenade launchers.

"On repeated calls, the vessel's threatening response was that she would blow up the naval warship," the navy said.

Famous last words ....

Posted by: Lone Ranger 2008-11-19 06:30

#2 the Indian navy appears to have taken the lead in the fight against pirates.

Good for them. I have a feeling that India will be the future of the free world. Too bad taking the lead only means having taken a few pot shots at a couple of dhows.

Posted by: gorb 2008-11-19 06:03

#1 PIB Press Release
Ministry of Defence

INS Tabar, which is currently in the Gulf of Aden for Anti-Piracy Surveillance and Patrol Operations, encountered a pirate vessel, 285 NM South West of Salalah (Oman) on the evening of 18 Nov 08, with two speed boats in tow. This vessel was similar in description to the 'Mother Vessel' mentioned in various Piracy bulletins.

INS Tabar closed the vessel and asked her to stop for investigation. On repeated calls, the vessel's threatening response was that she would blow up the Naval Warship if it closed her. Pirates were seen roaming on the upper deck of this vessel with guns and Rocket Propelled Grenade launchers. The vessel continued its threatening calls and subsequently fired upon INS Tabar.

On being fired upon, INS Tabar retaliated in self defence and opened fire on the mother vessel. As a result of the firing by INS Tabar, fire broke out on the vessel and explosions were heard, possibly due to exploding ammunition that was stored on the vessel. Almost simultaneously, two speed boats were observed breaking off to escape. The ship chased the first boat which was later found abandoned. The other boat made good its escape into darkness.

INS Tabar is on Anti-Piracy Mission in the Gulf of Aden since 02 Nov 08. The operation is being controlled by Western Naval Command since mid Oct 08. During this period, she has successfully escorted approximately 35 ships, including a number of foreign flagged vessels, safely during their transit through pirate infested waters of the Gulf of Aden and also prevented two hijacking attempts on 11 Nov 08. The Indian Navy has been patrolling the piracy infested water in keeping with the Government guidelines to protect our sea borne trade, instill confidence in our sea faring community as well as function as a deterrent for pirates.

Posted by: john frum 2008-11-19 06:03

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