The international coalition fighting piracy in the western Indian Ocean is stepping up its presence after recent attacks, it said last Monday.
The coalition cited recent attacks against merchant shipping in the Gulf of Aden and Bab-el-Mandeb (Yemen-Djibouti-Eritrea straight) by small, high speed boats using small arms, rocket propelled grenades, and significant explosives on October 2016 and last month. Although the attacks were unsuccessful, “they demonstrate a new threat to the maritime community.”
In response, the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) plans to increase its naval presence in the western Gulf of Aden, “It is important to note however that these attacks can develop rapidly and having warships positioned for an effective response depends on information provided by the shipping community,” the coalition said in a statement,
The CMF is an international collective of 31 countries dedicated to promoting security and the free flow of commerce acrss international waters in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Somali Basin, the Indian Ocean, and the Persian Gulf. It focuses on disrupting terrorism, preventing piracy, reducing illegal activities, and promoting a safe maritime environment.
The CMF members include the U.S., United Kingdom, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, the Philippines, Prtugal, Saudi Arabia, Sychelles, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, the UAE, and Yemen.
The voluntary group is commanded by Vice Adm. Kevin Donegan, commander of U.S. Naval Force Central Command and the Fifth Fleet. The Duputy commander is a U.K. Royal Navy Commodore.
The CMF recommended to industry mariners that all of those sailing through the high risk area register transits with the Maritime Security Centre – Horn of Africa. They should also report to the U.K.’s Maritime Trade Operations when entering the voluntary reporting area and when witnessing any suspicious events.
“This will provide military forces in the area visibility on your transit, allow accurate accounting of your vessel, and enhance our ability to respond to any sort of attack,” the group said.
“Maritime security will always require a team effort. CMF looks forward to working closely with our regional military partners and the shipping industry to ensure the free flow of commerce. It will take all of us, working together, to be successful,” the CMF added.