Swedish OPV HSwMS Carlskrona Keeps Close Eye on Pirates

 Having joined the EU Naval Force just over a week ago, the crew from Swedish Ocean Patrol Vessel HSwMS Carlskrona has been busy conducting counter piracy patrols.

And it was during one of these patrols last Friday that the ship’s helicopter saw a skiff being launched from the Somali coast.

Having passed the location of the skiff, together with photographs of the men and their equipment to Carlskrona’s operations team, the helicopter crew maintained a close watch over the skiff to see if it ventured further out to sea.

After some time, and aware that the helicopter was observing them, the skiff sailed back towards the Somali coast. Once on land they were seen removing their equipment from the skiff and then they overturned it. No fishing activity was observed in the skiff or on the beach.

As an EU Naval Force German Maritime Patrol Aircraft provided reconnaissance over the coast, HSwMS Carlskrona resumed her counter piracy patrols further out to sea.

 Speaking about the operation, the Commanding Officer of HSwMS Carlskrona, Commander Mathias Jansson said: “One of the greatest challenges we face in such a huge sea area is to be in the right place at the right time to apprehend suspect pirates and their vessels. We work closely with the EU NAVFOR flagship, NRP Alvares Cabral, who will ensure that the areas deemed to be high risk from piracy are monitored by EU NAVFOR assets. We remain ever watchful of the threat.”

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Naval Today Staff, April 16, 2013; Image: EUNAVFOR