
While the pirates raiding the Liberian-flagged tanker New York Star failed to penetrate the ship’s saferoom, or ‘citadel’ their use of rocket-propelled grenades, RPGs, highlighted the importance of ensuring that the saferoom is properly reinforced. Recently, the saferoom on another vessel was breached through the ceiling.
On 29 January, Dutch warship HNLMS De Ruyter, part of NATO’s counter-piracy operation Ocean Shield, freed the crew of New York Star after they had barricaded themselves into a safe room ), when the ship came under attack by pirates. Continue reading »