Operation Allied Protector

Operation Allied Protector was an anti-piracy military operation undertaken by NATO forces from March – August 2009 in the Gulf of Aden, the Indian Ocean, and the Guardafui Channel to protect maritime routes from pirates within the International Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC).[2] It was the second NATO anti-piracy operation in area following Operation Allied Provider and was succeeded by Operation Ocean Shield.

Operation Allied Protector
Part of Piracy in Somalia

A US Navy VBSS team from USS Laboon conducts training in preparation for Operation Allied Protector
Date24 October 2008 – December 2008
Location
Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean, Guardafui Channel
Belligerents

 NATO

 Pirates
Commanders and leaders

R. Adm. Jose Pereira de Cunha,
Commander Standing NATO Maritime Group One

Cdre Steve Chick,
Commander Standing NATO Maritime Group Two [1]		 Unknown
Strength
5 ships, ~2 helicopters [1] Unknown

From 24 March – June 2009, the operation was conducted by Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG1). This was the first time that SNMG1, which had previously operated in the Eastern Atlantic, was deployed to Southeast Asia. From 29 June – August 2009, Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) took over responsibility from SNMG1.[1]

Operations

On 16 March 2009, SNMG1 departed from Souda Bay for the Gulf of Aden.[2]

On 28 March 2009, USS Halyburton received a piracy emergency call from Grandezza, a 37-metre (121 ft) Maldivian-flagged yacht in the Gulf of Aden. The vessel reported that it was under machine gun and rocket-propelled grenade attack from at least one pirate skiff. Two Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk helicopters were scrambled from Halyburton and disrupted the attack. Due to the distance from the incident, the pirates were able to retreat before NATO surface forces arrived. HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën later debriefed the crew of Grandezza and obtained statements and photographs from the attack.[3]

On 18 April 2009, at approximately 3:00 pm local time, RFA Wave Knight stopped an attempted pirate attack of the Norwegian oil tanker MV Front Ardenne. Seven pirates were ultimately detained after a several hour pursuit involving HMCS Winnipeg, USS Halyburton, and Wave Knight. According to NATO, the suspects were "interrogated, disarmed,...[and]were set free according to national regulations." [4]

From 26–27 April 2009, SNMG1 made a port call in Karachi, Pakistan. Due to an increased amount of pirate activity, two other port visits in Singapore and Australia were cancelled. Furthermore, the end of SNMG1's participation in the operation was brought forward from June to May.[1]

On 1 May 2009, NRP Corte-Real intervened in an attempted pirate attack of the Norwegian oil tanker MV Kition. The sole pirate skiff retreated to a dhow mothership, which was later intercepted by NATO surface forces. Eight Portuguese marines boarded the craft and detained 19 suspects and recovered several weapons, including several high-explosives. According to Côrte-Real's commander, this was the first time that such weapons were recovered from a pirate vessel. [5][6]

On 24 May 2009, a Canadian frigate boarded two pirate skiffs off the coast of Somalia, resulting in seizure of equipment, arms, and ammunition.[7]

Deployed units

The following units were deployed in Operation Allied Protector:[1]

Standing NATO Maritime Group One
Country Vessel Class Type
 PortugalNRP Corte-RealVasco da Gama classFrigate
 CanadaHMCS WinnipegHalifax classFrigate
 NetherlandsHNLMS De Zeven ProvinciënDe Zeven Provinciën classAir defense and command frigate
 SpainBlas de LezoÁlvaro de Bazán classFrigate
 United StatesUSS HalyburtonOliver Hazard Perry classFrigate

Standing NATO Maritime Group Two
Country Vessel Class Type
 ItalyLibeccioMaestrale classFrigate
 GreeceNavarinonElli classFrigate
 TurkeyTCG GedizOliver Hazard Perry classFrigate
 United KingdomHMS CornwallType 22 BroadswordFrigate
 United StatesUSS LaboonArleigh Burke classDestroyer

References

Notes
  1. Counter-piracy Operations. North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Retrieved: 27 December 2013.
  2. Operation Allied Protector. NATO. Retrieved: 27 December 2013.
  3. Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 Disrupt Piracy Attack off the Horn of Africa. Archived 28 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine NATO, 29 March 2009. Retrieved: 27 December 2013.
  4. NATO Task Force foils hostile pirates. North Atlantic Treaty Organization, 2009. Retrieved: 27 December 2013.
  5. NATO Task Force disrupts pirate attack, boards mothership North Atlantic Treaty Organization, 2009. Retrieved: 27 December 2013.
  6. Somali pirates hijack 2 ships, NATO scuppers attack. Reuters, 2 May 2009. Retrieved: 28 December 2013.
  7. NATO Task Force disrupts pirate attack. North Atlantic Treaty Organization, 2009. Retrieved: 27 December 2013.
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