UK MoD Comments on Royal Navy Counter-Piracy Operations

May 10, 2012 Official Blog of the UK MOD

The Guardian reports that the UK has had to scale back its commitment to counter-piracy operations because the Navy no longer has enough warships. The article says the paper has learnt that despite the Prime Minister saying that countering pirates off the coast of Somalia is a foreign policy priority, Britain no longer has a year-long presence in the region. Defence cuts mean that only two frigates can be deployed for contingency operations and the Olympics mean the Navy will be further stretched over the summer.

Internationally, the Royal Navy remains at the forefront of counter-piracy operations, commanding the European Union counter-piracy mission while providing a frigate to coalition operations off Somalia and surging units to NATO operations.

It is because of national commitments like this and operations like that carried out by Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel Fort Victoria in January, which saw the capture and detention of 14 pirates, that the number of successful hijackings and hostage-takings by pirates is at a three-year low.

This work forms part of a comprehensive government approach to restoring stability to this area of the world highlighted earlier this year by the UK hosting an international conference on Somalia.