A Dornier maritime reconnaissance aircraft may be stationed in Djibouti on the Horn of Africa, where the French have a huge military base. The armed aircraft will add muscle to the operations of the stealth frigate INS Tabar and act as a major force multiplier, providing the Navy with a “better picture” of the world’s most dangerous waters, and the option of using air power to repulse pirate attacks in the entire Gulf of Aden region.

Sources said the matter is high on the agenda of the next round of defence dialogues between India and France that begins on Saturday. Defence Secretary Vijay Singh is leading the Indian delegation at the bilateral talks.

On Tuesday night, the Tabar shot at and sunk a pirate ‘mother vessel’ 285 nautical miles southwest of Salalah in Oman in the Gulf of Aden, the Navy said. This is the first operation of its kind by the Navy since the 1971 war. A week ago, the Tabar had rescued two merchant ships from pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia. The Navy did not suffer any casualty or damage to the warship in Tuesday’s operation.

The Tabar, among the several international naval vessels patrolling the region after a massive spike in pirate attacks over the last few months, was fired upon after it asked a suspicious vessel to stop for identification. The ship matched closely the description of a pirate ‘mother vessel’, towing two speedboats of the kind used by the pirates to attack and board merchant ships in the area.

Men carrying guns and rocket-propelled grenade-launchers were patrolling the upper deck of the ship.

“The INS Tabar asked the vessel to stop for investigation after getting suspicious,” Navy spokesperson Commander Nirad Sinha said. “On repeated calls, the vessel’s threatening response was that she would blow up the naval warship if it closed her. The vessel continued its threatening calls and subsequently fired upon INS Tabar.”

The Tabar retaliated in self-defence with heavy machine guns and sunk the ship. “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,” Commander Sinha said.

The two speedboats tried to escape, and the Tabar gave chase to the faster of the two craft. However, by the time it caught up, the pirates had abandoned the boat, the spokesman said. The other speedboat too had vanished in the darkness. There were no survivors, either from the sunken ‘mother vessel’ or the speedboats, the Navy said.

Piracy is the most lucrative business in the collapsed state of Somalia, and several pirate groups operate in the waters off the Horn of Africa. The sinking of a ‘mother vessel’ is expected to be a major deterrent for the gangs which have hijacked more than 60 merchant vessels this year in these waters.

The International Maritime Bureau, a specialised department of the non-profit International Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the Navy’s aggressive action. “It is exactly the kind of action we need against the Somali pirates, who have so far been operating with impunity on this major international water route. For the International Maritime Bureau this is a significant development at times like these and we congratulate the Indian Navy for this robust action,” said IMB (India) chief, Capt Pottengal Mukundan.

The Tabar, a Talwar class stealth frigate that is one the Navy’s most modern warships, has been patrolling the waters off Somalia since last month, and has so far escorted over 35 ships, including foreign vessels, through the Gulf of Aden. On November 11, it rescued the Indian-registered MV Jag Arnav and the Saudi Arabian chemical tanker NCC Tihama from pirates. The Tabar is mandated to “protect our seaborne trade, instill confidence in our seafaring community as well as function as a deterrent for pirates”.

The Navy does not currently have the authority of either ‘hot pursuit’ or preemptive attacks on pirates. It has sought greater autonomy to coordinate with foreign naval ships in the area.

WAVES OF ATTACKS

Wireless transmits from Somali waters received in India show pirates have attacked around two ships every day over the last week. Some excerpts:

10.11.2008: 1400 UTC: Posn: 13:27.6N-048:26.8E: Gulf of Aden

Pirates armed with RPG and guns boarded a chemical tanker. Holding 23 crew hostage. Sailing tanker to undisclosed location in Somalia. Details awaited.

10.11.2008: 1005 UTC: Posn: 01:12.5N-050:41.1: 250 nm east of Mogadishu

Two speedboats approached refrigerated cargo ship, one from stbd quarter, other from astern. Started to open fire. Ship made evasive manoeuvres. Speedboats could not get closer due to the waves. Later speedboats aborted attempt. Ship sustained damages...

11.11.2008: 0415 UTC: Posn: 12:45N-045:04E: Gulf of Aden

Two speedboats with 3-4 armed pirates in each chased bulk carrier. Evasive manoeuvres made, warship contacted. Naval helicopter arrived and interrupted speedboats. Speedboats aborted attack. Later, warship sighted, established contact.

12.11.2008: 1405 UTC: Posn: 13:07N-046:48E, Gulf of Aden

Armed pirates attacked and hijacked a chemical tanker.

13.11.2008: 0630 LT: Posn: 13:28.0N-049:21.5E, Gulf of Aden

Six pirates in fast speedboat approached bulk carrier. Master raised alarm, crew activated fire hoses. Pirates fired with two rocket propelled grenades and automatic weapons. Master asked for assistance. Coalition warship responded and came to location in 15 minutes...

15.11.2008: 0723 UTC: Posn: 04:41S-048:43E, 450 nm south east Mogadishu

Armed pirates attacked and hijacked tanker. Details awaited.