[NMS Note: Please be aware that this was translated via Google from the original Italian]. 
Somali sea gangs are adapting to the times and consequently to the ‘response’ to their attacks coming from the boat.¬†Off the coast of the Horn of Africa the ‘work’ of predator of the sea has become much more difficult and risky than in the past.
Commercial vessels are not always easy prey like a long time since almost all are now guarded by armed security team on board.¬†So far no defense ship was captured. Though the phenomenon of maritime piracy is no longer the levels achieved until 2011 when it registered the seizure of a ship in the day the level of risk is still considered high. Until the raiders of the sea made by the master was hard not to run into a pirate skiff and having to engage in a ‘race’ to escape his attack.¬†Today it is not so, but it is said that the risk of being attacked is no longer there.¬†Somali pirates have not been weakened even though, losers.¬†The danger of being attacked still exists as the Somali sea bandits are still there lurking waiting for a helpless prey to attack and capture.
In the Somali Basin and Indian Ocean, there are some real assault groups that roam far and wide across the sea in search of a possible prey. Gangs of the sea are adapting to the times and consequently to the ‘response’ to their aggressions coming by boat.¬†The latter have adopted various countermeasures to keep them away from their ships as the use of the citadel where the crew members of the ship can barricade themselves in the event of a pirate attack and resist until the arrival of relief, the new self-protection measures and evasive tactics designed to evade the attackers and the presence on board armed security team.¬†All these countermeasures is to be added later, the new role of vessels of war belonging to the international anti-piracy missions become more aggressive. Spite of all these countermeasures pirate activity is still very active and seizures of vessels continue, although fewer in number You are mainly fishing boats and small boats did not defend.
In fact, dozens of fishing boats, mostly Iranians and Yemenis, who fall into the hands of Somali sea gangs. Many of these seizures are not even reported and this makes it even more impossible to make an accurate count of the number of ships and hostages in the hands of Somali sea bandits. As a first countermeasure the Somali sea pirates have increased the group of assailants in order hoped to overwhelm the attacked even if defended. In this way it has gone from boardings conducted by a single skiff, with at least 5 well-armed pirates on board, assaults conducted by several small boats pirates. Nowadays even the tactics of collision are different from those of the golden days with bravado when Somali pirates attacked merchant ships on board with knowing how helpless and defenseless and unarmed workers of the sea.
The sea pirates now making approaches ‘soft’ or ‘double’.¬†In both cases the aim is to test the reaction of the cargo targeted and in particular that of any security team armed present on board of the same. In the first case if the approach does not arouse any reaction on the part of the vessel outlet targeting sea bandits proceed with an attempt to boarding as well as employing additional skiff waiting nearby and ready to intervene in case of call.¬†In the case of reaction desist knowing the risks they face and that at one time did not exist as they were dealing only with unarmed workers of the sea where they could quietly and cowardly bully.¬†In the second case at the same time and in the same area simultaneously attach two commercial ships.¬†A way that, perhaps also to test the response time of patrol vessels of the international anti-piracy naval mission in the area.
The first incident took place on 11 and 14 October. Both attacks were repelled by armed guards on board and took place off the coast of Mogadishu. The second incident occurred west of the Seychelles 6 and 9 November last. Both ships were defended and the attacks were repelled. The third incident occurred in the Gulf of Aden on December 9 with the attacks rejected. The common denominator of these three episodes that have taken place all at the same time of the month and at the same time though just a few nautical miles from each other. Due to the fact that in the last three months there have already been at least three in this type of attack, one per month, leads one to believe that perhaps the Somali pirates are trying out the times of the international anti-piracy naval patrol mission in the area and the resilience of the security team. Perhaps one way to understand how long they have to overwhelm the armed guards before the arrival of rescue.
Ferdinando Pelliccia
Via: www.liberoreporter.it
