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O 191049Z AUG 09
FM USMISSION USNATO
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 USNATO 000354 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PASS TO THE DEPARTMENTS OF TRANSPORTATION, JUSTICE, AND 
COMMERCE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL EWWT PHSA NATO MOPS MCAP SO XA
SUBJECT: COUNTER-PIRACY: NATO SUCCESSFULLY WORKS WITH THE 
EU AND OTHERS TO THWART PIRATES 
 
REF: USNATO 353 
 
¶1. (U) Even before the August 17 commencement of Operation 
Ocean Shield, NATO's recently agreed long-term contribution 
to international counter-piracy efforts (reftel), NATO's 
efforts off the Horn of Africa have been yielding positive 
results.  These results are often only possible because of 
the close coordination which has been established in the 
field between NATO vessels and other international 
counter-piracy forces, including those of the EU.  On August 
13, for example, a combined NATO-EU operation foiled an 
attack on a Turkish flagged merchant vessel.  On July 24, two 
Turkish warships--one attached to NATO and the other attached 
to CTF-151--joined forces with a German (EU) maritime patrol 
aircraft, and a helicopter from an Indian warship to stop and 
board a pirate skiff.  Additional details of these events can 
be found in the press releases reported in paras 2 and 3 
below. 
 
¶2. (U) On August 14, the website of the Allied Maritime 
Component Command Headquarters Northwood (MCC Northwood) 
carried the following story of NATO-EU counter-piracy 
cooperation: 
 
BEGIN TEXT 
 
14 Aug 09 
 
Combined NATO-EU Operation Foils Piracy Attack 
 
Dramatic events in the Gulf of Aden last night demonstrated 
the level of co-operation that now exists between the 
international counter piracy forces in that region. 
Following an approach by pirates, the Turkish flagged 
merchant vessel ELGIZ NUR CEBI issued a distress call.  The 
rapid, determined and coordinated response by both NATO and 
EU forces however foiled the attack. 
 
The Commander of the NATO Task Force, Commodore Steve Chick 
Royal Navy said: "With warships patrolling the International 
Recognized Transit Corridor and surveillance aircraft 
operating overhead we now have the ability to seamlessly 
coordinate our response to any pirate attack with the EU and 
other international counter piracy forces." 
 
In this case both NATO and the European Union Maritime Force 
(EUMARFOR) units swept into action.  Closest to the scene, 
the NATO warship HS NAVARINON, quickly closed in on pirate 
craft.  In a coordinated action with a helicopter from the 
German warship FGS BREMEN, working for EUMARFOR, the pirate 
craft was quickly stopped in the water. 
 
USNATO 00000354  002 OF 004 
 
 
 
Specially trained boarding teams from HS NAVARINON boarded 
the vessel and went on to find extensive stocks of weapons 
including RPGs and other piracy equipment. 
 
Commodore Chick continued: "The variety of weapons found in 
the pirate craft today demonstrates the dangers that these 
pirates pose to merchant ships and their crew. Successful 
hijackings usually follow a prolonged attack by small arms 
and sometimes RPGs.  In these circumstances the risk of 
injury or death of the crew is very real.  As a minimum we 
will always take measures to ensure that their weapons are 
destroyed so as to deny their future use." 
 
Whilst the pirates were being dealt with by the 2 warships, a 
French MPA, also working for EUMARFOR conducted an area 
search to locate any potential pirate support ships operating 
in the area; none were found on this occasion.  The NATO 
Warship TCG GEDIZ closed the merchant vessel to provide any 
assistance that might have been required. Further afield, 
other merchant traffic was alerted to the increased risk of 
attack from the UK Maritime Trade Organisation operations 
centre based in Dubai. 
 
Commodore Chick said:  "This incident is an excellent example 
of how far the collaboration betwen the international counter 
piracy forces has developed over the last year.  The use of 
common communication systems and the rapid exchange of 
information between our forces fully underpins our ability to 
deal robustly with the piracy threat." 
 
END TEXT 
 
(Note: The HS NAVARINON is a Greek frigate.) 
 
¶3. (U) The MCC Northwood webiste carried the following July 
27 Press Release, detailing an operation in which NATO worked 
successfully with EU, TF-151, and Indian forces: 
 
BEGIN TEXT 
 
News Release 
 
Ref: SNMG2 2009/04   27th July 2009 
 
Multinational effort turns heat on the pirates 
 
Close cooperation between NATO units and other forces is 
disrupting pirate activities in the Gulf of Aden.  Key to 
this success has been the ability of naval and air assets 
from different nations to respond rapidly to any detection of 
 
USNATO 00000354  003 OF 004 
 
 
pirate activity. 
 
To emphasise this, on 24th July, the Turkish warships (sic) 
GEDIZ, deployed as part of NATO's counter piracy effort was 
alerted to the presence of a pirate skiff by a German 
maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) working on behalf of the EU 
Maritime Force.  With the presence of pirate equipment on 
board, as well as weapons, it was clear that this particular 
vessel was intent on boarding and hijacking a merchant ship. 
 
As GEDIZ responded, the helicopter from the Indian warship 
GODAVARI, also in the area, circled the pirates at close 
quarters despite being fired upon by small arms.  Further 
helicopter support was also provided by the Turkish warship, 
GAZIANTEP working as part of the multinational Force. 
Following a high speed chase and the firing of warning shots 
the pirate skiff was eventually stopped and boarded by forces 
from the GEDIZ.  With much of their equipment having been 
ditched overboard prior to boarding it was clear that another 
pirate attack had been disrupted. 
 
The Commander of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) 
Commodore Steve Chick (Royal Navy) said "This episode is an 
outstanding example of the close cooperation that exists 
between NATO and the other other allied and multinational 
forces in the region.  The fact that GEDIZ was able to 
rapidly coordinate the activities of units from 4 different 
Task Forces into a cohesive plan is not only a testament to 
that ship but alos to the international resolve to defeat 
piracy." 
 
As part of the same incident GODAVARI went on to board a dhow 
that was suspected of being a pirate mother ship.  Nothing 
was found onboard and the vessel was later released. 
 
These events follow on from successes by HMS Cornwall who 
recently gave chase to a pirate skiff after being cued onto 
it by a French MPA.  With clear evidence of pirate 
paraphernalia on board the NATO flagship pursued the pirates 
for 2 hours at 28 knots before forcing them to stop. 
Although the sea state prevented the vessel from being 
boarded, the pirates jettisoned all their weapons and 
equipment in to the sea to avoid prosecution. 
 
HMS Cornwall's Commanding Officer, Commander Johnny Ley 
(Royal Navy) said, "Although it is obviously disappointing 
that we did not manage to seize their pirate equipment 
ourselves we achieved the same objective in the end.  Indeed, 
forcing the pirates to dispose of their own equipment and 
weapons reinforces the important lesson that NATO has 
capability and determination to intervene and will do so in a 
 
USNATO 00000354  004 OF 004 
 
 
robust manner whenever a pirate craft is detected." 
 
END TEXT 
 
¶4. (U) Additional news about NATO counter-piracy efforts can 
be found at the MCC Northwood website: www.manw.nato.int. 
 
¶5. (U) This message has been cleared with the U.S. Mission to 
the EU. 
BYRNES