This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
NAVY NEWS, OCTOBER 2009 23
Frigates
in harness
TWO Type 22s operating
a feel for their aims, and avoid piracy strategy is the enlisting of Transit Corridor (IRTC) – a
with two forces – but with
inefficient replication. local Coast Guard units. widely-publicised and heavily-
a single purpose.
That way the British warship, Exchanges have been conducted policed sea lane along the centre
commanded by Cdr Johnny Ley, to explain the roles and aims of of the Gulf of Aden through which
The frigates find themselves
will be playing its part in making the international maritime forces, merchant shipping is advised to
east of Suez guarding sea life easier for the patrolling ships, and to encourage local efforts, pass.
lanes along which chug the and harder for the pirates. particularly at the shoreline. And although warships may
merchant vessels which keep
Those on board Cornwall This also reinforces the message be on the lookout for ne’er-do-
Britain supplied with fuel,
have been awaiting the seasonal that pirates are becoming isolated wells, they are still there to help in
food and consumer goods.
upsurge in piracy, which was within their own communities – a whatever way they can.
Two 22s is not an indication
expected after the abating of the vital development if piracy is to be Thus a typical encounter saw
of overlap or overcapacity in the
monsoon at the end of August, but permanently stamped out. Cornwall attend to the needs of
provision of forces in the waters
by mid-September that had not All this activity has meant plenty the El Salam, a dhow which had
off the Horn of Africa, but a
yet happened. of work for the ship’s company, radioed for help after its engine
sign of intent by leading military
Testament to the co-ordination embarked Flag staff, and the flight died.
nations of the world.
between groups and the sheer crew of Rattler, Cornwall’s Lynx, The frigate stood by the
And that intent is to prevent
number of warships in the vicinity which has had to carry out surface dhow – a sitting duck in such
pirates posing a threat to free
or a change of tactics by the reconnaissance missions as well dangerous waters – and applied
trade on the high seas.
pirates? as replenishments and passenger some engineering first aid until
HMS Cornwall is in the
Too early to tell, is the general runs for the widely-travelled the stricken ship’s owners could
region as part of a task force,
verdict from those at sea, but commodore. get a sister dhow out to tow the
Standing NATO Maritime Group
they hope it is a sign that they are Cornwall has also had her own vessel to safety.
2 (SNMG2), acting as flagship
making a difference. patrols to carry out in and around On reaching the halfway point of
for the group’s commander, Cdre
Another strand in the anti- the Internationally Recognised marina Continued on p24
Steve Chick RN.
Cdre Chick has made it one
of his top priorities to improve
co-ordination across the maritime
forces in the region during the
NATO force’s four-month
deployment.
As well as visiting the European
Union Maritime HQ at Djibouti,
linchpin for Operation Atalanta,
and the Coalition Maritime
Forces HQ in Bahrain, Cdre
Chick has dashed up, down
and across the Gulf of Aden to
meet his counterparts on the
flagships of the Chinese, Indian
and Japanese task groups which
are also scouring the seas for
pirates.
By doing so the commodore
hopes to explain his thoughts, get
● Anticlockwise from top: RFA
Wave Knight crashes through
the sea during a replenishment
with HMS Cornwall; Cdre Steve
Chick is winched on to the deck
of HMS Cornwall from a Merlin
after visiting another ship in
the task group; LA(METOC)
Matt Jones releases a weather
balloon on board HMS Cornwall;
Mne Billy Weir is ready with his
SA80 Carbine during exercises
with the Somali Coast Guard;
HMS Cumberland alongside in
Karachi, Pakistan with Chinese
Fuchi-class replenishment
vessel Qiandaohu
Pictures: PO(Phot) Owen King (Cornwall),
LA(Phot) Steve Johncock (Cumberland)
023-025_NN_oct.indd 1 21/9/09 17:10:26
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52
Produced with Yudu - www.yudu.com