Gunline Winter11_Gunline 13/12/2011 17:31 Page 1 Gunline - The First Point of Contact Published by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Service Winter 2011 www.rfa.mod.uk RFA CAPTURES PIRATE MOTHERSHIP dhow pirate mother-ship involved in attacks on Amerchant shipping in the Indian Ocean was stopped and boarded by ships including Fort Victoria operating in the Indian Ocean. This action followed on from the successful rescue by Fort Victoria of the Italian Merchant Ship, Monte Cristo in early October. It is believed the dhow was hijacked by suspected pirates so that they could use it as a base, or mothership, from which to launch attacks against merchant ships many hundreds of miles from Somalia. Throughout this time, the Pakistani crew of the dhow was held hostage on board. RFA Fort Victoria and HMS Somerset some 200 miles off the coast were tasked with closing in on the dhow. HMS Somerset’s Commanding Officer, Commander Paul Bristowe said, “The mother-ship was located by Somerset’s Merlin helicopter at first light and the boarding teams were brought to immediate notice whilst Somerset closed with the dhow”. RFA Fort Victoria is deployed as part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Ocean Shield counter piracy task force, with HMS Somerset, assigned at the time to the Combined weapons overboard as well as setting one of their Maritime Forces counter-piracy mission, Combined skiffs adrift. Despite their desperate attempts to Task Force (CTF) 151 cover their tracks, a large cache of boarding ladders, The dhow was soon surrounded by a Royal Navy weapons, a second attack skiff and equipment from and Royal Marine boarding team from RFA Fort a previously pirated ship were found onboard. Victoria, supported by HMS Somerset’s helicopter. Captain Yapp said “There was a clear indication RFA Fort Victoria’s Commanding Officer, Captain that the suspected pirates found on the dhow were Shaun Jones RFA, said, “This operation demanded well-practised and knew what they were doing. One high levels of seamanship to ensure that the dhow of the weapons had recently been fired and was well was kept under close observation as the boarding maintained – as was the RPG rocket. I think that if party moved in.” see dark figures moving in the shadows on the bridge. we hadn’t disrupted this group of suspected pirates, The suspected pirates capitulated as the boarding We quickly boarded and secured the dhow then it is quite possible that they would have attacked team scaled the vessel’s side. Captain Rod Yapp, mustered the 24 occupants on her bow.” another merchant vessel.” Royal Marines, the commander of the boarding In the run up to the boarding, the suspect pirates team, said, “Approaching the dhow before boarding were observed by Somerset’s Merlin helicopter which was quite tense. Through my weapon sight I could witnessed the suspected pirates ditching equipment and ROYALROYAL FLEETFLEET AUXILIARYAUXILIARY COMMUNITYCOMMUNITY WEBSITEWEBSITE ForFor ServingServing MembersMembers,, theirtheir FamilyFamily andand FriendsFriends INFORMATION ADVICE The dhow’s crew of 20 were free to go on their COMMUNICATION way once the evidence gathering had finished. The four suspected pirates that were apprehended, however, have been passed to Italian authorities, on suspicion of their involvement three days earlier in the attack on the MV Monte Cristo. www.rfacom.mod.uk Surg Cdr Adrian Mellor Royal Navy, Gunline Winter11_Gunline 13/12/2011 17:32 Page 2 2 - Gunline Commodore Bill Walworth WAVE RULERS ASSISTANCE TO THE TURKS 011 passed in a blur. The 2RFA has been immensely AND CAICOS ISLANDS busy at sea and ashore and as it draws to a close I believe we ednesday the 24th August saw the start of a operations and an additional Royal Navy HADR team are better placed than twelve Wroutine day for Wave Ruler whilst undertaking a providing extra manpower Wave Ruler was well placed months ago. We know how to maintenance period Curacao. With a defect to rectify and to assist with the task that lay ahead meet the demands placed on us general maintenance to be conducted, setting sail seemed Within 24 hours of the hurricane hitting the Turks and and that they are achievable. miles away. Then the Captain received a call from Fleet Caicos Islands (TCI) the embarked Lynx from 815 Our manpower is reduced to meet the loss of three requesting assistance to the Turks and Caicos Islands in Squadron conducted an aerial survey with the Acting ships, and sad as we are to see our colleagues leave, it is of some comfort that their departure was the wake of Hurricane Irene. Governor and members of the Islands Disaster voluntary. This Gunline has articles from a number As a result the crew had to prepare the ship to sail that Management team on board to assess the damage to of operational ships as well as some signposts to the evening. Critically we had to reinstate safe temporary outlaying islands and settlements. This proved future. repairs to the ship’s defect and curtail the maintenance invaluable in witnessing at first hand the signs of damage RFA Fort Victoria is the ideal ship for counter period to ensure that there and devastation of flooding caused by Hurricane Irene. piracy. Her current deployment is deterring and would be no delay to our The overall assessment was that TCI survived stopping Somali pirates hi-jacking ships and departure. For the remarkably unscathed. kidnapping their crews. Wave Ruler is making Logistics Supply Wave Ruler in conjunction with the Disaster news in the North Atlantic through diplomatic, counter drugs operations and hurricane and disaster Department this required Management Team (DMT) formulated a plan of action. relief work. She returns to the UK in mid December arranging with the ship’s The Commanding and is sure of a warm welcome after over two years agent; pilots, tugs and line Officer and Officer in away from home demonstrating UK commitment handlers at short notice Charge of the Naval in those waters and showing all that is good about for that evening and Party briefed the DMT our small organisation. These two were the phone calls to the ship’s on the ship’s headline news, but every ship made a contribution chandler to ascertain capabilities and the to the Nation’s security and vital interests, as you whether it was possible to make up of shore have read throughout the year. In the headquarters load food stores prior to sailing. Personnel due to join the teams that could be deployed maximising the ship’s we are dealing with a number of challenges, including designing the changes that we will start ship had to be advised via Portsmouth of the change in personnel. The ship’s visit to Grand Turk earlier in the putting into action in 2012, after a period of programme and personnel leaving the ship had to also year proved invaluable in the planning. consultation and communication with the Flotilla. change their plans! On arrival off Grand Turk, Wave Ruler was Other highlights were the Nautilus Award for All the previous well intended plans had to be positioned close to the shore where a combined RFA and Counter Piracy efforts, the highly successful visit to brought forward. By midday stores were being loaded RN Disaster Relief Team went ashore in ship’s boats to Fort Rosalie by Mr Nick Harvey, Minister of State onboard. It was all available hands to assist with the collect over 1000 tarpaulins from the Disaster for the Armed Forces in the Ministry of Defence preparations and Management centre on Grand Turk. These were for and the Firmin Sword of Peace for Largs Bay stow the stores prior distribution in South Caicos and (sadly now in Australia). Key to our future is that the right people know to sailing. This was Providenciales. Meanwhile the Chief Officer met John what we bring to Defence. To that end we have the RFA at its best Farrand from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office worked hard and I hope you have noticed RFA with departments all (FCO) to discuss further tasking. stories in several media sources this year. I tell working together as a Mr Farrand from the FCO stated that “Although RFA anyone who will listen (and others who can’t hide team in order to make WAVE RULER was only available for a short time, the in time) about the RFA, our seagoing and sail and show that changes can be implemented within a fact that we were again able to show a significant UK operational experience, our business model and short time frame. presence in the immediate aftermath of a major storm value for money. We are well supported by the First For recent new joiners and the RN Humanitarian Aid can only reinforce the message that through the Interim Sea Lord’s strategy team, Navy Command and MOD media, by very positive stories in the wider and Disaster Relief Team (HADR) of twenty who had Administration the UK takes its commitment to the industry journals, by our maritime trades unions, only just walked up the gangway less that two hours security and safety of the TCI seriously.” Nautilus and the RMT, and most of all by the prior to sailing, what an initiation! Not only did they The following day, Wave Ruler delivered tarpaulins seagoing staff and their exploits, which are the best have to learn their way around the ship but they also had to South Caicos and communities in Providenciales adverts for our service. to rapidly acclimatise and prepare to support the before heading back to Curacao where FOST staff were In the midst of the global uncertainty the established Disaster Relief organisation.