‘Unsure when Gulf of Aden piracy will end’

ONBOARD INS MYSORE - Piracy in the Gulf of Aden could be a threat to global maritime trade for even a decade down the line, senior officers of the Indian and US navies said Saturday.

“Ten years down the line, whether the problem of piracy would continue…time will tell,” Rear Admiral Sudhir Pillai, the flag officer commanding Goa Area and Naval Aviation, said.

The growing menace of piracy in the Gulf of Aden region was a “complex issue” and only time would tell when the menace would end, he added while addressing a joint press conference onboard the indigenously-built destroyer INS Mysore during the ongoing Malabar India-US bilateral naval exercise.

“Piracy in that area is a complex issue. The Gulf of Aden is a huge area traversed by ships from several countries. There are several honest fishermen sailing there too. The problems are many,” Pillai, Pillai, who has battled pirates off the Somalian coast, said.

Rear Admiral Kevin Donagan, who is leading the US naval contingent in the Malabar exercise, admitted that piracy in Gulf of Aden was a difficult issue which could not be solved overnight.

“The good news is that several governments are coming together to find a solution. I feel that if we remain positive in that direction, we would make progress against piracy in that region,” Donagan maintained.

The Malabar war game off the Goa coast, which began Friday and will conclude May 2, will see several joint exercises being conducted, including an anti-piracy drill during which both navies will share information and understand each others’ procedures that are implemented during such missions.

The two navies have worked in tandem in the fight against piracy in the Gulf of Aden, with Indian vessels often refuelling from US tankers.

This is the 14th edition of Malabar. The Indian Navy is represented by INS Mysore and three guided missile frigates - INS Godavari, INS Brahmaputra and INS Tabar. In addition, one Shishumar class submarine, INS Shankush, as also Sea Harrier fighters and other fixed and rotary wing aircraft, are participating.

The US Navy is represented by ships from Carrier Task Force 70 of the 7th Fleet based at Yokosuka in Japan. The ships include the cruiser USS Shiloh, destroyers USS Chaffee and USS Lassen and the frigate USS Curts.

In addition, one nuclear powered submarine, USS Annapolis, two P3C Orion aircraft and a 28-member US Navy special forces team are also participating in the exercise.