MV Stolt Strength

MV Stolt Strength

The MV Stolt Strength is a Philippines-flagged ship, managed by a Panamanian company. It was hijacked by Somali pirates off the Gulf of Aden on November 10, 2008. The chemical tanker, carrying phosphoric acid and 21 Filipino crewmembers aboard, was attacked by armed men carrying automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades. Built in 2005 with a DWT Metric Tons capacity of 33,209, the ship's owner, Sagana Shipping, of Manila, was awaiting word from the pirates regarding ransom.

The hijacking of the MV Stolt Strength preceded the hijacking of at least two other ships in the same month, including the MV Sirius Star and the MV Delight.

The ship was released 21 April 2009, but it is unclear if any ransom was paid. After its release, the ship ran out of fuel off the coast of Somalia, but was later given 5 days of fuel by a ship of the U.S. Navy.