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Anti-piracy ship in Gibraltar
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HMS Montrose is visiting the Naval Base from today to Saturday of this week before returning to UK after a five-month deployment. The Type 23 frigate has been taking part in NATO counter-piracy operations off the Horn of Africa and in the Somali Basin.
Only a matter of days after arriving on station, Montrose disrupted a group of suspected pirates thought to be preparing to attack a North Korean merchant vessel in the Gulf. A distress call from the MV Mi Rae had reported that a gang of men in a nearby boat were acting suspiciously.
On receiving the message, Montrose’s Commanding Officer, Commander Jonathan Lett sent his Lynx helicopter to investigate. Seeing the helicopter, the suspected pirates moved away from the Mi Rae and the Lynx crew observed them throwing objects, including a rocket-propelled grenade launcher into the sea.
Marines and sailors were then dispatched from Montrose to question the suspected pirates who were finally allowed to continue on their way.
Only a week later, Montrose prevented a different gang of suspected pirates from entering the Indian Ocean to attack merchant ships. The frigate was alerted to a gang of ten men acting suspiciously in a small boat off the coast of Somalia near to a known pirate camp. Their boat, loaded with ladders and fuel drums, was towing two other smaller vessels that have been traditionally used for pirate attacks against ships.
Again, HMS Montrose launched her Lynx helicopter and a boat of Royal Marines and sailors to investigate.
Once the suspected pirates spotted the helicopter and boarding team, four of the suspected pirates took one of the smaller boats and tried to flee to shore. The remaining men stopped in the water and when the Lynx helicopter hovered overhead they tried to get rid of their ladders overboard.
After the Royal Navy boarding team confiscated all the pirate gear, thus ensuring that the gang could no longer pose a threat to merchantmen, they were transferred to the remaining skiff.
Speaking about the incident, the Commanding Officer of HMS Montrose, Commander Jonathan Lett, said:
"The disruption of a pirate gang in the Somali Basin by a NATO warship was very rewarding. Our actions prevented suspected pirates from heading out to sea to prey on innocent merchantmen. HMS Montrose continues to help keep the seas safe."
After reaching her home port of Devonport, Montrose will go into a maintenance period before embarking on a series of port visits around the UK.
Commissioned in 1992, the ship has a crew of 174 officers and ratings and is equipped with the latest weapons, sensors and communication systems, including the air defence Seawolf missile system, a 4.5 inch (114.3mm) gun, anti-submarine torpedoes, Harpoon anti-ship missiles and a Lynx helicopter.
16-12-10
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