HMS Defender to fight piracy in Indian Ocean

The UK Royal Navy has deployed its Type-45 destroyer HMS Defender at a station east of Suez, in a bid to join international force tasked to battle modern-day piracy in the Indian Ocean.

The fifth of the Royal Navy’s six £1bn warships joined Combined Task Force 151 together with South Korean Navy’s destroyer ROKS Munmu the Great.

Being one of three international naval forces, the group is aimed at boosting security and ensure safe passage of two and a half million square miles of ocean from the Suez Canal to the Seychelles, and into the Gulf, dealing with piracy, terrorism and smuggling, and working together with associated nations and navies in the region.

Further, HMS Defender commanding officer commander Phil Nash also demonstrated the vessel’s capabilities to ROKS Munmu the Great’s captain Kim Jeong-Hyun.

"Our combined tasking provides a highly-visible deterrence to pirate activity and narcotics movements, keeping the sea lanes safe," Nash said.

"Although this was a brief visit, I hope, in the near future, we can work alongside one another and continue to develop a longstanding working relationship."

Defender’s onboard Lynx helicopter and Royal Marines and Royal Navy boarding teams as well as gunnery teams have been working on their skills, carrying out rapid roping, searches and winching, prior to being deployed on mission east of Suez.

Further, HMS Defender will stay in the Gulf as part of its intended deployment to offer maritime security for the UK’s Operation Kipion in the Middle East.

Image: The UK Royal Navy’s HMS Defender destroyer. Photo: courtesy of Royal Navy.

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