Korean warship rescues mariners in Gulf of Aden

The Wang Geon is on-station as part of CTF 151, supporting counter-piracy operations off East Africa… which proved fortuitous for these merchant seamen who had suffered a fire & sinking.

Warship Rescues Stranded Mariners in Gulf of Aden

A Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) warship has rescued a group of sailors left adrift for five days in the Gulf of Aden.

The South Korean destroyer ROKS Wang Geon picked up the mariners near a busy shipping lane after their vessel caught fire and sank.

Wang Geon was on patrol as part of Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, CMF’s anti-piracy operation, when she spotted a bright orange life raft drifting in the water.

Launching her sea boat despite rough seas, Wang Geon’s boarding team recovered the crew from the life raft before returning them safely to the ship, where they received first aid, medical care, food and berthing.

The sailors (eight Indian, two Yemeni, one Nepalese) were the crew of the MV Al Saeed 2, which was carrying livestock between Somalia and Yemen when it suffered a catastrophic engine fire. They had gone for five days without even a bottle of water between them, and were close to dehydration.

The crew have since been safely turned over to the Yemeni Coast Guard.

Al Saeed 2’s captain, Akbar Abbas Chamadiya, said: We had almost given up hope before the Korean warship came to save our lives.

“Our deepest gratitude goes to Captain Han Young-Hee and his crew for rescuing us and providing us with care.”

Wang Geon has returned to her patrol, monitoring international waters in the Gulf of Aden and Northern Indian Ocean for pirate activity and ensuring maritime security in the high-risk waters off the Horn of Africa.

http://www.maritime-executive.com/article/Warship-Rescues-Stranded-Sailors-in-Gulf-of-Aden-2013-08-13/

Don’t Give Up The Ship (2002)

Operation Slipper: Australia’s contribution to the War on Terror

HMAS Newcastle is an Adelaide-class frigate commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy in 1993.

The Adelaide-class is a modified version of the US Navy Oliver Hazard Perry-class in RAN service. Four ships were built in the US and two were built in Australian yards. The vessels are nearing the end of their operational life with two (Canberra and Adelaide) already decommissioned. They will be replaced by Hobart-class air defence destroyers from 2016 onward.

HMAS Newcastle participates in Counter Terrorism Operation

HMAS Newcastle’s boarding team conducts an approach and assist visit with a Dhow in the Middle East Area of Operations.

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) ship HMAS Newcastle is participating in a focused operation in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea as part of the international campaign against terrorism.

During the operation, Newcastle has conducted an Approach and Assist Visit (AAV) to a Yemeni flagged fishing vessel (dhow) in the Gulf of Aden.

Newcastle’s boarding party was invited to board the Yemeni flagged vessel by its crew, and donated a small quantity of sunglasses and sunscreen to the fishermen as a sign of good will.

AAVs are conducted regularly by coalition ships to foster good relationships with the local maritime community by approaching vessels and engaging in dialogue in the maritime environment. AAVs typically include confirmation of the welfare of the mariners, and seek information on what they may have seen in the area or any issues they may have.

Newcastle’s Boarding Officer, Lieutenant Alec Fieldsend said his boarding party was well received by the crew of the Yemeni fishing vessel.

“It’s all about building relationships with them and letting them know that we’re in the area to protect them and to keep the region secure,” LEUT Fieldsend said.

“For most of these fishermen, security in the maritime environment directly relates to their ability to make a living. So, most of them are very happy to see us out here conducting patrols,” he said.

CTF 150 is one of three task forces operated by Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), a 28-nation coalition based in Bahrain.

CTF 150’s Area of Operation (AOO) spans over two million square miles, covering the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Gulf of Oman. The task force exists to create a lawful and stable maritime environment free from terrorism, smuggling and other illegal activities.

Newcastle’s participation in CTF 150 is part of her assignment to Operation SLIPPER – the Australian Defence Force (ADF) contribution to the international campaign against terrorism, counter smuggling and counter piracy in the Gulf of Aden, and enhancing regional maritime security and engagement.

Newcastle’s current deployment is the 55th rotation of an Australian warship to the MEAO since 1990. She is due to return to Australia in October, after handing over Operation SLIPPER duties to HMAS Melbourne.

Imagery is available on the Royal Australian Navy Media Library at http://images.navy.gov.au/S20130678.

http://news.navy.gov.au/en/Jul2013/Operations/140

Yemen intercepts illegal arms shipment in Red Sea

Good to see Yemeni authorities policing their own patch. CTF-150 can’t be everywhere and alliés locaux must actively support the international mission.

New illegal weapon cargo is apprehended off the coast of Yemen

The authorities confirmed on Sunday that the armed forces managed to successfully apprehend a ship traveling off the coast of Yemen with on board an illegal cargo of weapons.

The Supreme Security Committee told the press on Sunday that the ship had been intercepted as it was entering Yemen territorial waters near the island of Zoqar in the Red Sea.

Prior inspections showed that the weapons are Turkish-made.

An official was quoted by Saba, the state news agency as saying, “The seized weapons were planned to reach its destination inside the country after being unloaded in an island of the Hunish Archipelago via small boats and then to the Yemeni coasts.”

An investigation has been launched into the incident to determine who the cargo was intended to and more importantly the identity or identities of those responsible for loading the ship with illegal weapons in the first place.

The matter is bound to strike a nerve with Turkey as it has been earlier this year, in January accused of meddling within Yemen internal affairs by providing military equipment and weapons to dissident groups, after several illegal weapon-cargo bearing alleged links to Ankara were intercepted by the Yemeni authorities.

The Turkish government had to work really hard to dispel doubts.

Whether the shipment was being sent to Yemen to be later on moved to another location has yet to be determined. Security analysts have increasingly warned that the impoverished nation is being used as a by-pass country for traffickers.

Yemen Post Staff

http://yemenpost.net/Detail123456789.aspx?ID=3&SubID=7027