An Air Force surveillance aircraft will be deployed off Somalia’s coast in a bid to tackle piracy in the region, the government said Friday.
From January 2012, the Challenger surveillance aircraft will assist in aerial patrols for an initial two-month period as part of a Nato coalition force operating against pirates in the Gulf of Aden.
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“Other countries have aircraft there, but it is a gigantic nautical area,” said the defence minister, Nick Hækkerup.
“Therefore it is important to know where to place the (coalition’s) ships,” he added, explaining the need for deploying surveillance aircraft.
The decision to deploy the aircraft was confirmed at a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Committee on Friday.
Meanwhile, Navy frigate Absalon is sailing again to the waters off the Horn of Africa with a crew of 150 to strengthen the Nato mission known as Operation Ocean Shield, said the Ritzau news agency.
The Absalon has already seen action in the region and its tour of duty is now extended by six months. Its arrival means there will be four international ships operating under Ocean Shield as of November 1.
With the latest developments, the total number of Danish military personnel deployed in the Gulf of Aden operations rises to 190, Ritzau said, marking a sharp increase in Danish counter-piracy initiatives.
Ocean Shield has operated since 2008, and been involved in several actions against pirates. But captured pirates are often released for lack of sufficient grounds for prosecution.
Without a functional government since 1991, Somalia has become a home for pirates who have launched numerous attacks on commercial shipping off its coast. They are believed to make millions of dollars by capturing and ransoming both commercial and private ships and crews.
