Piracy activity jumps in Gulf of Aden

The most recent victim, the MT BUNGA MELATI 5, a Malaysian tanker with 41 crew members aboard was hijacked by suspected Somali pirates. There have been eight hijackings in the Gulf of Aden alone since July 20. The ship, owned by MISC Berhard, is laden with  30,000 tons of petrochemicals and was enroute to Singapore from Yanbu, Saudi Arabia.  The company reported that the vessel attempted evasive maneuvering before being overpowered by the pirates.  The ship was sailing within a security corridor patrolled by a multinational naval force when it was seized.  (news article)

M/T Bunga Melati 5 in better days. (Photo courtesy Knut Helge Schistad - Shipspotting.com)

Armed pirates seized an MISC palm oil tanker on Aug. 19 in the gulf, resulting in the death of a Filipino sailor. MISC officials said negotiations to free other crew members were continuing.

Two days later, three more vessels — an Iranian bulk carrier with 29 crew, a Japanese-operated chemical tanker with 19 crew and a German-operated cargo ship with nine crew — were hijacked.

2008 Gulf of Aden pirate attacks plotted courtesy of the International Maritime Bureau

Two subsequent hijacking attempts failed but the surge in attacks prompted the U.S. Naval Central Command to establish a security corridor in the gulf patrolled by coalition warships and aircraft.

After reviewing the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/Fifth Fleet Combined Maritime Forces website, I feel that although a coalition force is patrolling the area, perhaps the coalition force should be showing a bit more teeth.  Press releases concerning the response to the pirate attacks are few and far between.  Little information as to the resolution of pirate attacks that have occurred are provided, and the commands attention seems to be focused on port visits, hosting dignitaries, and training.  I would suggest that combating piracy take a higher priority at Fifth Fleet, and that attention focus on combating violent and dangerous pirates on the high seas rather than focusing on which Admiral is visiting which unit. 

A good summary of the recent hijackings and photos of the vessels involved can be found here.