ABSALON IN ACTION

For three days Absalon shadowed a small Indian cargo dhow. The dhow was being used as a mothership by pirates who held the 12 man Indian crew hostage.

The pirate motherships are used as bases for attacks on freighters, enabling the sea robbers to operate far from the coast in longer periods of time. The pirates bring along their high-speed boats – so-called skiffs – which are then launched when a freighter is within range. The motherships typically prowl the enormous ocean east of Somalia.

Absalon tailing the dhow discouraged the pirates from attacking any of the cargo ships they came near. After three days the marauders gave up their enterprise and were picked up by a large, Bulgarian freighter captured by other pirates and with a crew held hostage.

Out of the pirate clutches, the captain of the dhow immediately requested that Danish personnel board the boat. The Danish marines ensured that the ship and its crew were in good shape. Apart from being short of fuel, everything was, all things considered, all right.



Absalon crew inspecting a dhow in the Gulf of Aden, the area of operations for the anti piracy efforts. This picture is from an earlier deployment of Absalon.


Gathering intelligence
Following the operation, the Absalon crew used the incident to gather intelligence on the movement, operational procedures, and behaviour of the raiders. The Indian crew got a medical check, fresh supplies and fuel, and some minor repairs were done on the dhow. The small ship was then able to continue its voyage.

Commander of Absalon, Commodore Dan B Termansen, states:

“It is positive that the problem of motherships is being addressed now. They look just like other ships in the area and stalk a spot of ocean the size of the United States of America. That makes them hard to identify. When we do find them, however, we can keep them under surveillance and thus effectively take them out of the game. Trying to actually board mother ships still held by pirates puts the hostages in too much danger. Victory by manoeuvre is the best solution.”



Absalon, flagship of the Royal Danish Navy and currently also of the NATO Operation Ocean Shield.


Absalon is named after the warrior archbishop who in 1167 came into possession of a small village called Havn and fortified it. The small hamlet grew into København, Copenhagen, the capital city of Denmark. 1167 is usually reckoned as the founding year of Copenhagen, although a village had lain there even since the Viking Ages.

Read more about Absalon and its voyage to the Gulf of Aden here.

Read about the United Nations’ recognition of Denmark’s contribution to anti piracy efforts here.