The other night, in the waters of the Gulf of Aden, the frigate I hope of the Italian Navy, inserted in the European anti-piracy device- operation Atalanta, intervened in the fight against piracy brought against a Polynesian flag merchant.
The merchant ship was sailing in the recommended transit corridor when it was approached by one skiff, a fast boat typical of the area, presumably carried out by 4 pirates, armed with Kalashnikovs, near the East coast of Somalia.
The crew took refuge in the citadel by sending a message requesting help, while 3 pirates boarded trying to take possession of the ship.
Ship I hope has intervened together with other military ships forming part of the international device for countering piracy that operates in the Gulf of Aden. Among these, the destroyer Tippu Sultan, of the Pakistani navy, the first ship to reach the area, the frigate Yulin, of the Chinese navy, the destroyer Mumbai, of the Indian navy, the American cruiser Hue City of the ship I hope.
The intervention of a security team belonging to the Chinese frigate, then physically stopped the pirate 3.
The event is indicative of a threat still present in the area, where criminal gangs are still devoted to piracy, seen as an easy source of income. Therefore the transit in the area is still considered a risk for the safety of the crews and it is for this reason that the area is still patrolled by the various national and international devices, including the EUNAVFOR Atalanta, in which the ship participates I hope.
The intervention for the safety of the ship was the result of effective coordination between the navies of different countries, which in the area have developed procedures to work together and counter the phenomenon of maritime piracy.
