How are different countries dealing with this growing problem? In August 2008, Combined Task Force 150, a multinational coalition task force, took on the role of fighting Somali piracy by establishing a Maritime Security Patrol Area (MSPA) within the Gulf of Aden. The increasing threat posed by piracy also caused significant concerns in India since most of its shipping trade routes pass through the Gulf of Aden. The Indian Navy responded to these concerns by deploying a warship in the region on October 23, 2008.
Pirates tend to ride in small parties in speedboats or skiffs. The boarding teams and commandos that are the naval forces' main weapons travel in rigid inflatable boats (RIBs) and helicopters. The distances involved mean that both sides rely on mother ships for fortification. The sheer scale of the French Jeanne d'Arc was an unprecedented factor in the fight (this was the boat that saved Le Ponant in 2008): it is 500ft long and has space for eight helicopters and some small boats. Later, the 1,000-ft American assault ship Iwo Jima arrived in the region with over a dozen choppers and AV-8B Harrier attack jets onboard, plus the usual assortment of boats. The USS Howard missile destroyer brought an AEGIS missile guidance and combat system, along with antisubmarine rockets and torpedoes.
To help cover more water, the U.S. military has deployed drone aircraft, which can be launched from the decks of warships. Predator drones flying from Djibouti have also helped spot suspected terrorists by land in Somalia.
Self-defence is another important aspect of the battle against piracy. The Pentagon's cargo ships are run by civilians but protected by security teams armed with machine guns. Some cruise ships have been fitted with a sonic device that is in essence like a heavy duty stereo speaker. It sends a sonic wave out to a directed target, hitting it with a sound so powerful that it bursts eardrums and shocks pirates into a state of disorientation.
There are also discussions under way to begin an aggressive covert operation against the pirates, but it has been difficult to get underway. In a Harpers Magazine article, a CIA official stated, "We need to deal with this problem from the beach side, in concert with the ocean side, but we don't have an embassy in Somalia and limited, ineffective intelligence operations. We need to work in Somalia and in Lebanon, where a lot of the ransom money has changed hands. But our operations in Lebanon are a joke, and we have no presence at all in Somalia."
The battle is beset by other problems. The pirates move quickly and often at night and so it is often too late before a crew has realised what has happened. There is also no international legal system for people accused of piracy, although one group was captured by French forces and taken to face justice in France.