Capture of Alleged Pirates in Gulf of Aden
On 11 February 2009 the Vella Gulf responded to a distress call from the tanker Polaris in the Gulf of Aden. The Polaris reported that pirates in a single skiff were attempting to board the tanker with ladders, though the Polaris crew was able to thwart their efforts. Upon arriving in the area, the Vella Gulf intercepted a skiff with 7 men aboard. The crew aboard the Polaris confirmed their identity as the aforementioned attackers, and the 7 were taken aboard the Vella Gulf before being transferred to the USNS Lewis and Clark for processing before being sent to Kenya for trial.
Vella Gulf was involved in another action against pirates the next day on 12 February when she responded to a distress call from a merchant vessel. The Indian freighter Premdivya reported that she had been pursued by pirates and taken fire from them. The American cruiser responded by dispatching a helicopter to the scene which fired warning shots and chased the pirate skiff down. The Vella Gulf then launched a boarding party in two RHIB's and captured nine pirates, who were then sent to the Lewis and Clark as the previous batch of pirates captured by the cruiser had been.
Read more about this topic: USS Vella Gulf (CG-72)
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