You're reading: Representatives of Ukrainian and US navies discuss plan for anti-piracy operations

A working group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine led by Chief of the Marine Operations Center of the Ukrainian navy Captain Dmytro Shakura from March 12 is on a visit to the headquarters the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet in Manama (Bahrain).

As the press center of the Ukrainian Navy reported, the Ukrainian delegation held working meetings with representatives of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet on studying experience in combating piracy in the Gulf of Aden and also participated in a sitting of the Coordinating Group on Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE).

As Deputy Chief of the Ukrainian Navy HQ Captain Andriy Ryzhenko reported, about 100 representatives of the fleets of European and Asian countries, the Middle East, the command of the EU’s Atalanta Operation, NATO’s Ocean Shield Operation and the command of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet took part in the sitting of this coordinating group.

During the work, which is to last until March 14, the participants of the sitting are to co-ordinate joint actions fighting marine piracy, holding of escort operations, patrolling dangerous regions, and implementing air-patrol and another anti-piracy work.

"As is well known, today the most dangerous region for navigation is the Somali coast. Some years ago several international security organizations decided to hold a sitting of the coordinating group on shared awareness and deconfliction in Manama once a quarter, with the participation of representatives of all countries and organizations fighting piracy," Ryzhenko said.

During the sitting Ukrainian delegation is to coordinate the plans for involving the active members of the Ukrainian navy to fight against piracy and study the experience of their foreign colleagues, he said.

The representatives of the Ukrainian navy are taking part in such sitting for the third time.