Russian warship escorts two foreign vessels across the Gulf of Aden

24.03.2011 Pacific Fleet (PF) task force participating in the international anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden started escorting 11th convoy on Wednesday, reported RIA Novosti referring to a spokesman for Russian Navy.

The fifth PF task force consisting of large ASW ship Admiral Vinogradov, sea-going salvage tug SB-522, and tanker Pechenga arrived from Vladivostok to the Gulf of Aden on Dec 22, 2010. Admiral Vinogradov has two deck-based helicopters providing permanent aerial reconnaissance. Each ship is reinforced with PF marine units which had passed special training prior to the mission.

"Currently,large ASW ship Admiral Vinogradov is escorting 2 foreign vessels through the Gulf of Aden", said the official.

He reminded the task force had escorted 10 international convoys being on mission for three months. All shipborne systems work normally; the ships are fully supplied with food, water, and fuel. All crews are disease-free.

In the fall of 2008 Admiral Vinogradov was the first PF warship arrived to the Gulf of Aden to attend the longstanding anti-piracy operation. Now she heads the fifth PF task force.

PF marines of the fourth task force and large ASW ship Marshal Shaposhnikov on May 6, 2010 released Liberian-flagged tanker Moscow University captured by pirates in the Gulf of Aden. There were 23 Russian sailors on board the tanker carrying 86,000 tons of oil from the Red Sea to China. No crewmembers suffered during the assault operation; ten pirates were captured, one killed.

Previous four PF anti-piracy task forces have escorted over 100 merchant vessels from various countries. None of them was hijacked by pirates. Pacific Fleet command has received dozens of grateful letters and telegrams from shipmasters and directors of shipping companies. Best PF servicemen distinguished themselves while countering Somali piracy were decorated with national awards.