Recently, combat aircrew from Maritime Patrol Squadron FOUR (VP-4) were tasked to find a suspected pirate mother ship in the gulf of Oman. Upon commencing a search of the last known position of the suspected pirates, the crew found an unusually weathered fishing vessel matching the description of a possible mothership. The crew descended to investigate and observed several of the crew carrying rifles and witnessed a skiff headed away from the closest merchant vessel, the Jolly Smeraldo, toward the suspected pirate mothership. . “After witnessing that, we decided to warn other vessels in the area of the possible hijacking”, said mission commander Lieutenant Jae Kim. “We then received a mayday call from the Jolly Smeraldo explaining that they had been attacked by the pirates, but had managed to retreat to their safe house on the ship.”

Although piracy in the area has been on the decline in recent months, the number of hostages held by pirate groups has steadily increased. The pirate groups typically board and hijack large merchant vessels and then head for the lawless waters off the coast of Somalia and hold the crews for ransom. In the past, pirates were limited by geography; they were unable to venture far out to sea because they needed to stay close to land for support. Recently, however, pirates have begun to hijack large cargo ships such as the Jolly Smeraldo, using them as the launching point for raids. This practice is particularly disturbing because is dramatically increases the range of pirate groups.

Because the VP-4 crew was able to circle overhead and warn merchant vessels in the area of the observed pirate activity, they were able to eliminate the element of surprise that is critical to the success of a pirate attack. The aircrew was assisted by the Merchant vessel Malibu, who informed UKMTO (UK Maritime Trade Operations) of the situation. The UKMTO in Dubai serves as a point of contact for Merchant ships and liaison to military forces in the area.

After reaching the mothership, the skiff was hauled back aboard only to be re–‐launched with grappling hooks and ladders in an apparent attempt to insert more pirates aboard the Jolly Smeraldo. However, the high freeboard of the ship and the large wake created by the maneuvering vessel forced the pirates to abandon their attempt. The VP-4 crew was able to assist the Jolly Smeraldo by remaining in the area and updating UKMTO via the M/V Malibu.

Due to the rise in pirate activity, many shipping companies will re-route their traffic through safer waters, thereby increasing their cost to do business which is then passed on to the consumer. With the added fuel costs, insurance, and security measures, estimates of the cost that piracy has on international shipping are in the billions. Working in conjunction with coalition forces, VP-4 is serving a vital role in ensuring that freedom of the seas is maintained today and in the future.

Beginning in January, 32 aircrew and maintenance personnel departed Kadena Air Base, Okinawa to take part in a Maritime Surveillance Exercise (MARSURVEX), the first of its kind, in the Philippines. Among the personnel detached was VP-4’s Executive Officer, CDR Kevin Long, the Detachment Officer in Charge, LCDR Joe Brunson, and Combat Air Crew Eleven lead by Mission Commander, LTJG Matthew Derks.

Flown out of Clark Air Base on Luzon Island, this exercise was held to enhance U.S. and Philippine maritime interoperability using the surface surveillance capabilities of the U.S. Navy’s P-3 Orion. The detachment was also an opportunity for Patrol Squadron Four to enhance foreign relations and provide crews with excellent, real-world experience.

Once in country, the crew provided guided tours of the P-3 to 20 members of the Philippine Navy and Coast Guard. Guided by CAC-11 Mission Commander, Matthew Derks, the guests learned basics about buoy loading, crew member responsibilities, and aircraft limitations. With qualified operators at each tactical station, the guests moved about the aircraft and were provided positional capabilities briefs from the crew.

The tactical phase of MARSURVEX began on January 18 and ran through the 21st of January. It consisted of four Maritime Domain Awareness missions south of Jolo Island. In order to demonstrate the P-3 Orion’s over water, surface-search capabilities, the squadron invited five Filipino riders, each mission, to fly with the crew and experience Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance operations. Working in tandem with eight Filipino Coastal Watch Stations, the crew was able to detect and identify over 400 radar contacts in the Sulu Sea. Additionally, the Filipino riders were provided aerial photography of selected radar contacts as the crew demonstrated low altitude passes referred to as RIGS. Both the crew and the riders truly enjoyed working with each other, making the exercise a very rewarding experience.

Following the conclusion of MARSURVEX, through their own initiative, the 32 VP-4 detachment personnel took the opportunity to contribute to the Philippine community by visiting the Duyan Ni Maria Children’s Home in Mabalanias, during their off duty hours. The orphanage provides shelter and education to abandoned, neglected, and maltreated children. Personally donating over a thousand dollars, the detachment purchased desperately needed supplies for the Children’s Home, to include; rice, canned foods, cooking oil, diapers, infant formula, and medicine. By delivering the supplies themselves, VP-4 personnel were able to interact with the children and directly see the impact their contributions made. LTJG Ever Garay stated, “I’m really glad I was able to see the looks on the children’s faces. I haven’t felt this good in a while.” The trip to the orphanage made a huge impact on both the children and the members of the detachment.

As VP-4’s first detachment of deployment MARSURVEX was a vast success; demonstrating the value of maritime patrol in the region and enhancing international relations between the Philippines and the United States. Equally important, the outreach to the Philippines community impacted CAC-11 and VP-4’s maintenance personnel to a degree that will not soon be forgotten.

On February 19th, two P-3C Orion’s from Patrol Squadron (VP) Four left Kadena Air Base for Royal Australian Air Force Base Pearce in Australia for TAMEX, a joint exercise with the Royal Australian Air Force and a Collins class submarine from the Royal Australian Navy. The exercise was designed to improve the maritime interoperability between the United States and Australian forces. Personnel on the detachment included VP-4’s Commanding Officer, Cmdr. Steve Newlund, detachment Officer in Charge Lt. Cmdr. Dennis Lloyd, Combat Air Crew One lead by Mission Commander Lt. Devin Holmes, and Combat Air Crew Seven lead by Mission Commander Lt. Matt Welch.

The exercise consisted of four flights for each crew off the western coast of Australia, providing an opportunity to practice tactical swaps with the RAAF in addition to diesel submarine tactics training. The first two flights consisted of the crews requesting the submarine to perform certain maneuvers with communication breaks as necessary to discuss the training so far. This allowed the crews to focus their training on certain aspects of antisubmarine warfare (ASW), such as acoustic and non-acoustic search tactics, as well as passive and active acoustic tracking. By the fourth flight, the aircrews were required to track the submarine without any knowledge of its plan of action.

The exercise also provided the unique opportunity for Australian flight students to join VP-4 on its missions. The students were exposed to the basics of each crew station and tactics, as well as the on station ASW capabilities provided by the aircraft. They were also on hand to watch the crews conduct simulated torpedo attacks on the submarine. Both crews successfully tracked the submarine for more than 20 hours, flying 8 missions over the course of four days.

During their off hours, the crews were afforded the opportunity to explore Perth and its surrounding area. Popular locations included Caversham Wildlife Park, where visitors can feed and pet various wildlife native to Australia such as kangaroos and kuala bears as well as a chocolate factory, microbreweries, and extensive shopping.

Overall, the exercise provided a unique and once in a lifetime opportunity for the crews as well as the maintenance personnel involved in the exercise. Cheers!