Fighting pirates in the Gulf of Aden
Posted on Monday, February 09, 2009 10:36 AM ET
By Jim Miklaszewski, NBC News Chief Pentagon Correspondent
The U.S. and Russian navies joined forces today in the Gulf of Aden in an extraordinary and spontaneous display of counter-piracy cooperation and high-seas diplomacy. The U.S.-guided missile cruiser Vella Gulf and the Russian destroyer Admiral Vinogradov launched a coordinated military response to a distress call from a Panamanian cargo ship, which reported it was about to be attacked by pirates.
The U.S.-guided missile cruiser Vella Gulf, flagship for the Navy’s counter-piracy task force 151, was on pirate patrol in the northern gulf when it first encountered the Russian destroyer,
Admiral Vinogradov, which was providing armed escort for four civilian cargo ships through the notorious “Pirate Alley.” As the commander of the American task force, Rear Admiral Terry McKnight engaged in a “bridge-to-bridge” radio exchange of information and courtesies with the captain of the Russian warship, the crew on the Vella Gulf suddenly launched into action when the Panamanian ship called for help. Within minutes, the Captain of the Vella Gulf Mark Mark Genung called back to the Russians and asked for helicopter support to counter what sounded like a pirate attack.
“The Russians responded immediately,” said Genung, immediately launching a Helix combat helicopter from the Vinogradov. For about one hour, the two former cold war adversaries closely coordinate their every move on the water and in the air.
In the end, both the Russians and Americans ascertained that the small boat the Panamanians thought was manned by pirates was no threat. As the heavily-armed Russian helicopter did a close “fly-around” of the Vella Gulf on its way back to the Vinogradov, both the Americans and Russians waved.
“This is extraordinary,” said Genung. “In my 27 years in the Navy, including serious tensions between between the two [U.S. and Russian navies], I’ve never seen anything like it.”
U.S. Admiral McKnight and the crew of the Vella Cruz will host the commanders of the Vinogradov for lunch tomorrow.
