On Sunday 28 February 2010 the NATO flagship HDMS ABSALON undertook direct action to disrupt the piracy in the Somali Basin by scuttling a pirate mother skiff, one of the large, open boats that pirates use to transport and support their attack teams to offshore hunting areas. The ABSALON is the flagship of NATO’s current counter-piracy operation Ocean Shield off the Horn of Africa. The mother skiff was scuttled by use of specialist teams from ABSALON after it was intercepted by ABSALON’s boarding team. It had been located earlier in the day having just left a well known pirate camp located on the eastern Somali coastline, fully loaded with pirate equipment and supplies.(AOL News, 03/02/10)
“This was a very well executed operation,” said CDRE Christian Rune. “Disrupting the pirates’ capability just off their main pirate camps sends a strong signal to the pirates that NATO and the international community do not tolerate their actions. Disposing of their vessels before they can head to sea hits the pirates before they can present a threat to merchant shipping,” said CDRE Rune."
2/28/10
Incident: Absalon destroys mothership
NATO's operation Ocean Shield flagship, HDMS ABSALON, has sought out and destroyed a Somali pirate mother ship off the Somali coast (location not disclosed). From AOL and the press release: