First trial by fire for Dutch VPDs
(BRUXELLES2) Embarked on board the Flintstone, the Dutch Marines had to fight back today against the immediate threat of a pirate attack.
It was around 18 p.m. (European time) in the Arabian Sea when a suspicious dhow was reported. The alarm was immediately sounded on board the flintstone, an offshore vessel (specialized in riprap for oil exploitation, andoperated by Tideway, an offshore subsidiary of the Belgian dredging group DEME). And the crew entrenched themselves in the citadel (according to the customs in force). Meanwhile, the dhow had put a skiff in the water.
A first warning shot, by a rocket, was not enough to stop the attackers. They cocked their RPG and aimed it at the ship. The Marines then retaliated. According to the Dutch navy, it is possible that the action caused casualties among the pirates. The ship then resumed its journey to the Suez Canal, its final destination being Malta.
NB: This is the first significant action by the Dutch VPDs since the decision of the government of The Hague to provide the most sensitive ships, flying the Dutch flag, with on-board protection teams made up of soldiers (on the French model) rather than to authorize private armed guards.
Read also: More protection teams embarked by the Netherlands in 2012