The latest pirate story to emerge from the Gulf of Aden has revealed a detailed picture of British Naval forces deployment in the region, despite the press concentration on the military reserves being held back to protect Olympic interests. With the inclement seasonal weather inhibiting pirate attacks in the Indian Ocean the criminal forces tend to concentrate in the more sheltered waters of the Gulf, or 'Pirate Alley' as it is often referred to, threatening merchant shipping. When a 40,000 tonne container vessel, the MV New Delhi Express, suffered engine failure on the 27th July the Royal Navy responded immediately.
Two specialist vessels were working in tandem just twelve miles north east from the stricken vessel which was drifting helplessly, HMS Pembroke is a Sandown Class mine hunter largely built from GRP and thus non magnetic and more able to survive the shocks likely to occur when doing her day job. HMS Middleton, is a Hunt Class mine countermeasures vessel used to detect, investigate and destroy sea-bed threats with the use of high powered sonar, remote underwater vehicles and divers. Both vessels were headed home when they received the distress call telling them of the merchant ships plight.
The Royal Navy has several mine-hunting ships permanently based in Bahrain, where crews work in the warmer waters which provide a different training environment compared to UK waters, and coincidentally directly opposite the Iranian coastline and close to any potential troubles in the Strait of Hormuz. The New Delhi Express is a 4200+ TEU vessel belonging to the German based Hapag Lloyd company and only seven years old, a juicy target indeed for any potential attackers belonging as she does to one of the world's most prestigious fleets. |
