US navy foils piracy try on PHL-flagged vessel in Arabian Sea

The United States Navy thwarted a piracy attempt on a Philippine-flagged vessel in the Arabian Sea Thursday, the US Defense Department said. In a news release, the Defense Department said the Philippine-flagged "Falcon Trader II" sent out a distress call that pirates were boarding it. "All 20 Filipino crew members of the Falcon Trader II are safe and in control of the vessel, officials said," it said. The Defense Department said the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise and guided missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf responded to a distress call from the Falcon Trader II around 10:30 a.m. local time Thursday. At the time, the crew of the Falcon Trader II said suspected pirates in a small skiff were trying to board the vessel. In a second report, the Falcon Trader II crew reported pirates were aboard, and that all 20 crew members had locked themselves in a safe room, also known as a “citadel." A citadel is a secure room with food, water, communication and control over the vessel's steering and propulsion. A SH-60F helicopter assigned to the "Dragonslayers" of Helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron 11 from the Enterprise and a SH-60B helicopter assigned to the "Vipers" of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light 48 from the Leyte Gulf were sent to investigate. "The HS-11 helicopter fired warning shots to dissuade the pirates from continuing their attack. Two pirates were seen jumping off the Falcon Trader II’s bow, and the pirates' skiff fled the area, pursued by the HS-11 helicopter," the Defense Department said. As the pirate's skiff tried to rendezvous with a larger vessel suspected to be acting as a “mother ship," the pirates shot at the helicopter with assault rifles. The helicopter and its crew were not harmed and returned to continue reconnaissance. "We could definitely see the muzzle flashes from their AK-47s, but we weren't hit," said Navy Lt. Joshua Overn, a pilot aboard the helicopter. "The anti-piracy training we had received kicked in, and everyone conducted themselves with poise and professionalism," he added. With no confirmation that all of the pirates had left the vessel, a Leyte Gulf crew member fluent in Tagalog remained in contact with the Falcon Trader II's Filipino crew and monitored the vessel overnight. After observing no suspicious activity, Leyte Gulf's “visit, board, search and seizure" team secured the vessel. The team then notified the crew that it was safe to come out of the citadel, after confirming no pirates remained aboard. "It says a great deal about the inherent flexibility and capability of the Enterprise Strike Group that we were able to conduct counter-piracy operations while simultaneously flying Operation Enduring Freedom missions and coordinating air defense of the region," said Navy Capt. Eugene Black, commanding officer of the Leyte Gulf. Meanwhile, US forces continue to monitor the suspected pirate mother ship, officials said. Pirates are known to keep hostages on mother ships to prevent counter-piracy forces from acting directly against them, the Defense Department said. "This is a great example of the teamwork inherent in a Carrier Strike Group," said Navy Rear Adm. Terry Kraft, commander of Enterprise Strike Group. "We were lucky to be on scene when the attack occurred, and everyone did their jobs well." — LBG, GMA News