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US Navy thwarts, sinks pirate ships

Two Navy ships thwarted efforts by pirates to board a merchant ship in the Arabian sea, and then destroyed the ships.

110202-N-2907P-002 ARABIAN SEA (Feb. 2) A small boat being towed by a suspected pirate mothership is destroyed by weapons fire from the guided-missile destroyer USS Momsen (DDG 92) after Momsen disrupted an attack on a commercial oil tanker in the Arabian Sea. Momsen and the guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG 54) came to the aid of the merchant vessel simultaneously in a coordinated rescue and assist effort after receiving a distress call. Momsen and Bunker Hill are deployed supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Hull Maintenance Technician John Parkin/Released)

ARABIAN SEA-- Two Navy ships thwarted efforts by pirates to board a merchant ship in the Arabian sea, and then destroyed the ships.

According to the Navy, SS Momsen (DDG 92) and USS Bunker Hill (CG 52) disrupted a pirate attack on Panamanian flagged merchant vessel Duqm, Feb. 2 in the Gulf of Oman.

While transiting in international waters, the merchant vessel reported that pirates were attempting to board the vessel.

Momsen and Bunker Hill, which were in the vicinity, immediately responded to the Duqm's distress signal and caused two pirates skiffs alongside the vessel with ladders against its hull to flee the area.

Momsen and Bunker Hill tracked the skiffs movement and located the mother ship that facilitated the attempted boarding of Duqm, towing the two empty skiffs.

Momsen then destroyed the two skiffs to prevent their use for future attacks.