NAVFOR sinks pirates and rescues umharmed

The Swedish patrol plane monitored the movements of a hijacked fishing vessel and reported to the EU NAVFOR Force HQ. . The EU NAVFOR Luxemburg patrol plane then arrived and provided cover and positional information to a Seychelles Coast Guard vessel
The pirates who abandoned this vessel and took control of another ship and set course for the northern Somali basin. Seychelles Coast Guard vessel used disabling gunfire and the vessel was hit below the water line and it began to sink. All personnel jumped overboard and were rescued unharmed.

At present the Luxembourg government has provided two Swearingen Merlin III aircraft operated by CAE Aviation. These aircraft are now based in Mahé Seychelles in support of the EU’s “Operation Atalanta”. However, the Merlin III is an old aircraft with a limited range of less than 600 nautical miles, it carries a search radar and an Electro Optic Turret and is a useful short-medium range observation platform.

HNLMS Tromp (F803) tackles and releases pirates

De Zeven Provinciën class [very similar to the German Sachsen class] frigate HNLMS Tromp (F803) managed to tackle pirates March 28, last night and this morning 2 times successfully in action. This time the pirates were 850 kilometer north of the Seychelles at about 950 kilometer from the Somali coast forced to stop.


Last night the Tromp discovered an attack boat and mother with a total of 7 persons on board. Piracy attributes, such as ladders and arms, visible on both ships were thrown overboard. Because they could not be linked to a hijack attempt, the crew was left by the Tromp with nothing but adequate food and fuel to get to the coast of Somalia.

The same happened March 29 with 10 pirates. . The Tromp, in collaboration with a Swedish patrol aircraft, found a mother and 2 assault boats. . They also dropped the suspect material into seawater. On seeing the approaching Marines of the boarding team the pirates surrendered. . On board the mothership were 10 drums each 200 liter diesel, which the navy crew made unusable. Both attack boats were destroyed by Hr. Ms. Tromp. From Dutch Defense Ministry[translated by Google with a minimum of editing]