09.02.2009
Source:
Translation:
RusNavy.com
A Ka-27 helicopter based on the Russian escort ship Neustrashimy of the Baltic Fleet several times forced Somali pirates to retreat, Colonel Stanislav Drobych, the commander of the air group stationed on the ship, told Ria Novosti.
A
Ka-27 helicopter capable of carrying antiship torpedoes, missiles and bombs is based on the
Neustrashimy.
“Our helicopter stopped many attempts by pirates to capture cargo ships off Somali coasts. The ship, when escorting a convoy, cannot abandon it to pursue pirates, so we, helicopter pilots, are the ones to stop such instances,” Drobych said.
As a result, Drobych said, the pirates understood that it was better to stay away from the air group of the
Neustrashimy. “They are very much afraid of us. As soon as they’d see us, they’d immediately retreat,” Drobych said.
In the few months during which the mission went on, our technical systems worked perfectly, despite rough weather conditions, Drobych added. “It is very hot and humid there. We flew very carefully, we were ready for anything,” he said.
At the base of the ship in Baltiysk, Drobych was welcomed back by his wife Natasha. The two have spent 27 years together.
”I worried a lot about my husband during this mission, as it lasted more than was anticipated: not 2 months, but a full four and a half. In addition, the mission was a real combat mission. I was very nervous. It is a good thing that there is mobile communication. We talked,” Natalia Drobych told
Ria Novosti.
She added that her family will organize a festive dinner to celebrate the return of her husband.
“My husband told me in advance what he wants, the dishes he had missed. And we will have on the dinner table the
borsh, pork chops, and of course dumplings, which he likes so much. Thank God, my husband is back home alive and well,” Natalia added.
The
Neustrashimy has been on a mission to distant seas since September. It sailed in the Mediterranean and Red seas, and it remained for a long period of time in the region of the Gulf of Aden to help fight pirates and ensure the safe passage of cargo ships in that region. During the mission, the Russian ship escorted at least 60 civilian ships, and it was forced a few times to repel pirate attacks.
This was the first time in recent history a ship of the Russian Navy was involved in a mission to stem pirate attacks. The
Neustrashimy has been replaced in the Horn of Africa by the large anti-submarine ship
Admiral Vinogradov.
