Pirate Attacks Ramp Up

Pirate activity in the Indian Ocean is keeping warships busy.In one recent incident,a U.S. Navy frigate,the USS Nicholas(FFG47)was fired on by a pirate skiff and responded with a 50-caliber machine gun,sinking the skiff.Sailors arrested three pirates from the skiff and two more on the mother ship.This occurred near the Seychelles islands,far from the pirates' customary range.The Nicholas has a speed of 29 knots.
In another encounter,the USS Farragut(DDG99),an Arleigh Burke class destroyer,arrested 11 more pirates.These pirates had to be released,as Kenya had no more room in its jails.The Farragut has a speed of 30+ knots.A South Korean warship also began pursuing pirates.The pirates had seized an oil tanker with more than 100 million dollars' worth of oil on board.

AFRICOM Augments Anti-Pirate Efforts

The U.S. Africa Command has added three U.S. Navy P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft and 112 sailors,deploying them to the Seychelles islands.They are from the VP-26 Tridents in Maine.Captain John Moore,commodore of Combined Task Force 67 in Signorella,Italy said that the aircraft are uniquely suited to counter-piracy missions,given their ability to cover a wide area for long periods of time.They can stay on patrol for up to eight hours.AFRICOM says the Orions will be unarmed.
Captain Moore said the mission had gone well so far.It started last month.Its goal is to provide intelligence,surveillance and reconnaissance for the Horn of Africa.The mission will last for several months at least,AFRICOM stated.