Navy Helo Thwarts Attack

A Navy helicopter broke up a pirate attack on the merchant ship Ice Explorer early on Monday morning,the NATO defence alliance revealed.The ship,which was in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia,radioed a mayday when the crew spotted suspicious activity.The USS Kauffman(FFG 59)dispatched the helicopter,and the pirates dumped weapons and other items into the sea when they realized they'd been detected.A Navy boarding party seized some of the pirates' gear.
The Ice Explorer's alert crew was pivotal to the successful outcome,a Navy officer said.They caught the pirates in the act before it was too late.At least 17 ships and several hundred mariners are currently being held by Somali pirates,who demand millions of dollars of ransom for their release.NATO,as well as Russia,China and India have been staging naval patrols off the Somali coast for some time,with mixed results.Even when prates have been apprehended,there is often nowhere to send them and they are released.
The USS Kauffman is an Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate.It can carry two Seahawk helicopters.Displacing 4100 tons,the relatively small warship can cruise at 29 knots.
The 9 August incident closely resembles several other engagements between Somali pirates and naval helicopters in recent years.Confronted with military opposition,the pirates seldom resist.

Frigate Participates

An Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate,the USS Halyburton(FFG40),participated in the anti-pirate operation off the coast of Somalia that freed Captain Richard Phillips,the merchant mariner who commanded the Maersk Alabama at the time it was attacked by the pirates.A replacement crew has since boarded the freighter in Mombasa,Kenya.The Perry class frigates are armed with a 76mm/62 caliber gun,as well as a Phalanx Close-In Weapon System and six torpedo tubes.They can sail at 29 knots and have a complement of 209.The Halyburton was built by Todd Pacific Shipyards,Seattle.She is homeported in Mayport,Florida.Frigates are among the smaller warships in service today.They are relied on for escort and patrol missions by many navies.The U.S. Navy has 30 of the frigates,keeping eight of them for reserve use.