Piracy fight stepped up as jets patrol waters

Kenya on Monday stepped up the fight against piracy by deploying fighter jets to patrol its territorial waters in the Indian Ocean.

The jets will join Kenya Navy patrol boats in offering surveillance and relaying information on crime at sea.

Briefing journalists at the Kenya Air Force base at Moi International Airport, Mombasa, where he saw off the two F5 fighter jets, Chief of General Staff Jeremiah Kianga said the forces would ensure that Kenyan waters were safe.

“We want to let the international business community know that our waters are free from piracy attacks,” he said, adding that the move would step up surveillance that has been going on since piracy threats heightened.

The Kenya Navy has been offering surveillance within the Kenyan waters and introduction of the fighter jets would improve security.

“We are today sending a message to those intending to engage in piracy that we will deal with them,” Gen Kianga said. The jet pilots, he said, would be on call and would relay information to the patrol boats.

However, the operation would be confined to Kenyan waters, he said, adding that there were no plans of pursuing pirates in Somali waters.

Major threat

The move comes at a time piracy is a major threat to international business, with the pirates holding dozens of ships and hostages.

The Gulf of Aden, a route for most cargo ships headed for European, Asian and African destinations, is the hardest hit.

Among the ships being held by pirates is a Saudi Arabian supertanker with $100 million (Sh7.9bn) worth of crude oil.

Pirates have continued to seize ships and carrying out daring attacks, despite the presence of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) ships patrolling the Indian Ocean.

The operation will also be in collaboration with other Nato operations in the ocean, said Gen Kianga.